As the international link body Climate Heritage Network (CHN) turns 1 year old, it has reported back on 2020.
… power of culture to drive transformative action…
…8 activities designed to create tools to mobilise culture for climate action…
CHN writes:
In late 2019, leaders from around the world came together to mobilise arts, culture, and heritage for climate action, acknowledging that too often these fields had been missing from this critical work. From the parapets of Edinburgh Castle, the Climate Heritage Network was launched with a goal of fortifying the response to climate change with the perspectives and knowledge that only culture can provide. Our growing global network has achieved a lot over these past 12 months. As we reflect on those accomplishments, our thanks go out to everyone who assisted in 2020, along with an invitation to all who believe in the power of culture to drive transformative action to join us in 2021!
The COVID-19 pandemic left many cultural organisations struggling to maintain climate change programming amid competing demands. The CHN’s Culture x Climate programme was designed to help meet this challenge through 30 CHN and affiliated organisation events, as well as open-source themes, templates, and social media assets. A collaboration with Historic England delivered 7 weekly webinars as well. All in all, over 3,000 of you participated in CxC events!
The CHN welcomed Elizabeth Erasito of the National Trust of Fiji (pictured left) and Mayor Pedro Palacios of the City of Cuenca, Ecuador (right) as Co-Chairs of its Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean regions. All 5 CHN regions held forums in 2020 where colleagues could network and share experiences.
In 2019 the CHN launched its Madrid-to-Glasgow Arts, Culture and Heritage Climate Action Plan, consisting of 8 activities designed to create tools to mobilise culture for climate action. 2020 saw the launch of 7 volunteer working groups made up of CHN members committed to completing these activities by COP26 in November 2021.
UN-Habitat, the UN human settlements program, executed a new Memorandum of Understanding which includes collaboration on strengthening the Climate Heritage Network and efforts to recognise the cultural dimensions of climate change.
CHN members from around the world, led by institutions in Africa and the UK, are contributing to a new project to support climate action in Africa through cultural heritage. The project, which was launched in November, will pilot the Climate Vulnerability Index at cultural sites in Nigeria and Tanzania.
The CHN’s first Annual General Assembly was devoted to planning culture sector engagement at the 2021 UN Climate Summit (COP26). Well over 100 CHN member organisations participated in the half-day meeting, which also addressed arts, culture, and heritage activities for next year’s Pre-COP26 summit and the 2021 G20 meeting.
See more on the CHN and related news on the IHBC NewsBlogs
