The Italian Ministry of culture represents Italy in the “Culture and cultural heritage” partnership, and it works with the aim to recognize to cultural heritage a central and strategic role within the Green Deal policies. It supports and encourages the local urban authorities to enforce plans for climate change adaptation that take into consideration cultural heritage, through shared plans of action with the local institutions, research centers, citizens, and professionals.

In this context, the Segretariato Generale of the Italian Ministry of culture has requested the support of the Fondazione Scuola dei beni e delle attività culturali in the implementation of the following activities.

A laboratory where urban, regional, and national authorities can share visions and practices, recognize needs and identify opportunities together with researchers and stakeholders. Where they can experiment and implement actions for the safeguard of culture and cultural heritage against the effects of climate change.

The state of the art and the survey of international experts’ perspectives have now converged in a report that presents a feasibility study for a European Observatory on culture/cultural heritage and climate change in the urban context. This document offers recommendations on the scope, purpose, and functions as well as on the governance of the Observatory.

Six keynote speakers from diverse disciplines and geographical areas – all of them leading actors involved in the issue of climate change and culture/cultural heritage – were invited to answer the same three key questions about different aspects of this topic and to debate the best strategy to talk about climate change and spread awareness on the effects of climate change on cultural heritage.
Is it more effective a communication focused on the individual responsibility or one insisting on the role of collective agency? Is it necessary to involve the cognitive or the emotional sphere? Any alternatives to the “Loss & Damage” when mitigation or adaptation to climate change is no longer possible?
During this important international round table, different approaches and perspectives on the relationship between climate change and culture/cultural heritage were discussed and a new interesting dialogue between different professional views and different disciplines was set out.

This volume presents the round table transcript and, to enrich the proceedings, a section dedicated to projects which concretely explore viable instruments to tackle climate change.

Download Three Key Questions on Culture, Cultural Heritage, and Climate Change. Proceedings of the Round Table