Amongst growing concern that current climate mitigation efforts are insufficient, an undervalued approach to climate action is moving into the spotlight. At the European Heritage Hub Forum in Venice on 28 September 2023, local governments, artists, international organisations and policy makers crafted a passionate appeal to place culture and heritage at the heart of climate action.
Cristina Garzillo of ICLEI Europe’s Culture and Heritage team emphasised that culture and heritage allow us to imagine low-carbon, equitable futures. It gives us the power to build trust, mediate divides, and transform mindsets. Forum guests argued that culture and heritage unlock emotion, creativity, and importantly, give us hope. Tapping into culture means that sustainability transitions are rooted in local identities, which increases social acceptance of necessary change. Our current social-ecological crisis is about a broken relation with the earth and its inhabitants, one speaker remarked, which is a deeply cultural issue.
Culture-based climate action has intrigued many cities and regions. In a video message to the Forum, Mayor Mustafa Tunç Soyer of ICLEI Member Izmir (Türkiye) and ICLEI Global Executive Committee Member credited culture as a binding force that unites communities and sparks a holistic transformation of urban life. The City’s Circular Culture approach strives to create harmony with nature, between residents, harmony with the past, and with future change. “Our heritage is our identity, and it is a vital asset in the fight against climate change,” he said. “Culture is like water drops connecting roots and branches of a tree. Culture is a link.”
Meanwhile, ICLEI Member Lille (France) shared their commitment to culture-based climate action, including their participation in Eurocities’ newly launched call for low-carbon, inclusive culture. Local governments like Lille and Izmir are key players in sustainability transitions, as they are best positioned to govern according to local values, traditions, and identity.
To learn more about ICLEI's work to enhance culture and heritage as a driver of sustainable change, click here.