Parks Stewardship Forum

With the climate warming faster now than during any period in human history, every part of society—including the cultural sector— has a responsibility to advance changes that benefit communities now and in the future. Both intangible and tangible cultural heritage play an important role in climate adaptation, mitigation, and resilience activities around the world, and can help mobilize climate action by optimizing connections to people and communities. Cultural heritage climate action applications range from sites providing a safe haven for communities during severe weather, to using artifacts like photographs as proxy indicators of climate change, to developing low- and zero-carbon footprint exhibitions. The authors follow the Talanoa Dialogue, a pattern of exploration and goal setting often used in cooperative planning for climate action. The process begins with “Where are we now?”, then proceeds to “Where do we want to go?”, and concludes with “How are we going to get there? This article outlines the origin, current practice, and future of cultural heritage resources in climate action, and concludes with recommendations for how to reach a place where cultural heritage plays a more significant role in taking and influencing climate action. Globally and nationally, the cultural sector’s footprint is significant. No site can avoid impacts from the changing climate; neither can their communities.