ICOMOS Strengthens Commitment to Climate Action at COP29
ICOMOS took part in the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), which was held from 11 to 22 November in Baku, Azerbaijan, to reaffirm its commitment to climate action within heritage conservation practices.
ICOMOS was one of the first organisations to acknowledge the link between climate action and cultural heritage conservation, notably through its key implication within the 2021 International Co-Sponsored Meeting on Culture, Heritage and Climate with UNESCO and the IPCC. This year, ICOMOS strengthened its commitment to building a sustainable future following its key role in the 2023 ‘Global Call to Put Cultural Heritage, Arts and Creative Sectors at the Heart of Climate Action’ published as an aftermath of COP28. Indeed, as part of the Group of Friends of Culture-Based Climate Action, ICOMOS reaffirmed its support to the tabling and adoption of the Joint Work on Culture and Climate Action at COP30.
Further demonstrating its engagement to climate action, ICOMOS co-organised the COP29 side event ‘Unlocking the Power of the Culture, Heritage & Knowledge Provisions of the Global Goal on Adaptation’ as a key partner of the Preserving Legacies project, which is a collaboration between ICOMOS and the National Geographic Society, and a supporter of the Heritage Adapts to Climate Alliance (HACA), launched this year in response to the adoption of the Global Goal on Adaptation framework at COP28. Held on 21 November, this event explored inclusive, value-driven strategies for adapting cultural practices and heritage sites to climate change. Discussions highlighted the vital role of Indigenous knowledge in climate resilience and reviewed the progress made under the UAE framework for Global Climate Resilience (UFGCR) in safeguarding both tangible and intangible heritage.
Photo credits: COP29 Baku Media Gallery
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