Climate & Cultural Heritage Joint Call

Topics

Climate change is having an increasing and lasting impact on our environment and society. This is the context within which cultural heritage - tangible and intangible - is threatened by well-known, new and more extreme risks. Researchers have already been investigating the impacts of climate change on the environment, on social systems and on the economy, however, as cultural heritage becomes more vulnerable, there is still much to be done to complement existing findings, engage societies in heritage discussions, and improve the degree of resilience, in order to inform the development of robust prevention and adaptation policies and strategies.

Yet, while cultural heritage is acknowledged as being more urgently challenged by climate change, global agreements, such as the 2015 Paris Agreement, the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also acknowledge the potential of cultural heritage to play an active role in the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient future. It is vital that research further explores how to make cultural heritage a readily available resource for climate mitigation, adaptation and for sustainable development.

The call will address three complimentary themes:

1. The Impact of Climate Change on Cultural Heritage;
2. Cultural Heritage as a Resource for Climate Mitigation and Adaptation;
3. Sustainable Solutions for Heritage.