Climate Action Working Group - Climate Justice and Equity Toolkit

The toolkit addresses the need to acknowledge the vulnerability of low- and middle-income countries’ intangible and tangible cultural heritage in the face of climate change, as well as the misunderstanding of the scale of impacts and the over reliance on scientific approaches and research above other knowledge systems. It emphasises the link between climate justice engagement and the protection and safeguarding of individuals’ and communities’ human and cultural rights. These are beneficial for heritage practice, as they promote inclusive and bottom-up approaches that respect all knowledge systems, gaining the trust and informed consent of affected communities.

The publication also highlights previous actions by ICOMOS, including Resolution 20GA/15, which declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency and called for the ICOMOS community to implement heritage responses to climate change by recognising equity and justice as fundamental to understanding and addressing the challenges of climate change. The toolkit is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.