Strengthening cultural heritage resilience for climate change

On 7 September 2022 the European Commission released the Report Strengthening cultural heritage resilience for climate change - Where the European Green Deal meets cultural heritage. The document summarises the work of the EU Open Method of Coordination (OMC) Working Group of Member States’ experts on ‘Strengthening cultural heritage resilience for climate change’, in line with the European Green Deal.

The group of 50 experts studied the impact of climate change on cultural heritage and identified numerous threats to all forms of cultural heritage, with the aim of ensuring its protection and reinforcing, in addition, its resilience. Based on the research findings and on best practice examples, the report presents a set of key recommendations for policy makers. Among the latter, the expert group recognizes the importance of improving and aligning the public policy strategies of the different actors responsible for cultural heritage and climate change, and of the integration of culture into environmental sustainability policies at all levels. Likewise, it recommends improving research to identify the most severe threats and their potential impacts, as well as the costs involved. It also recommends monitoring European heritage at risk through the regular updating of a risk assessment map.

The report is based on the work carried out by the members of the OMC Group throughout 2021 and 2022. Maider Maraña, member of the Board of Interarts, contributed to the Report on behalf of the European Expert Network on Culture (EENC) coordinated by Interarts for the DG Education and Culture of the European Commission.