ICOMOS took part in the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), which was held from 10-21 November 2025 in Belém, Brazil, to reaffirm its commitment to climate action within heritage conservation practices.
ICOMOS writes:
… ICOMOS has been active both in advocacy for the inclusion of cultural heritage in climate policies, as well as in the implementation of cultural heritage based climate action in the agenda…
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The Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) Framework, adopted in December 2023 at COP28, marked an important step forward by officially recognizing heritage sites and cultural traditions as key parts of climate adaptation efforts. On 21 November 2025, COP30 met the expectations set at COP28 by approving the CMA6 Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) decision, which now includes 5 indicators to track how well heritage sites and cultural practices are being protected and adapted to climate change.
While still a work in progress, the COP30 outcome is the strongest step yet toward making culture and heritage a practical part of international climate policy. It reflects five years of steady efforts by culture and heritage partners since COP26 and marks an important milestone in the HACA (Heritage Adapts to Climate Action) journey and initiative, of which ICOMOS has been a strategic partner.
Action agenda accomplishments: ICOMOS involved in 3 plans to accelerate solutions: ICOMOS is grateful that the GGA has recognized the vital role of heritage in adaptation and is proud to be part of 3 heritage-centric Plans to Accelerate Solutions on the Action Agenda, which align with the GGA’s call for increased ambition to protect cultural heritage and offer concrete measurable ways to achieve that. Cultural Heritage was included under the ‘Fostering Human and Social Development’ axis as part of Activation Group 19 (AG19): Culture, Cultural Heritage Protection and Climate Action. COP30 introduced a new pathway to track and scale efforts across sectors: Plans to Accelerate Solutions (PAS).
The ICOMOS Climate Action Working Group is one of the initiatives in the Action Agenda and is involved in 3 PAS :
- the Heritage Adapts campaign (led by Preserving Legacies)
- the Heritage Now campaign (led by Built Buildings Lab); and the
- Plan to Accelerate Cultural Heritage Considerations in National Adaptation Plans (led by Ministry of Culture of Brazil and the Group of Friends of Culture-Based Climate Action, GFCBCA)
ICOMOS CAWG supported PAS Heritage Adapts and the Heritage Now Campaign as well as GFCBCA throughout several COP30 events and meetings, including the final joint letter of all the PAS to the Presidency. As a result, heritage-based PAS were acknowledged in COP30 by the COP30 presidency. Ave Paulus ICOMOS CAWG Focal Point [said]:
‘Cross-sectoral and multi-level efforts to accelerate cultural heritage in climate policy and climate action is the only way to respond to the climate crisis in an equitable and just way’.
