We are happy to announce that the Sendzimir Foundation, as the second Polish organization after the city of Krakow, joined the Climate Heritage Network (CHN). Thus, we are among more than 220 organizations from around the world that are committed to strengthening the role of art, culture and heritage in climate action.
Croatia Green Building Council, our partner in the project Climate Mitigation in Heritage Buildings project is also a member of CHN.
Climate and heritage – a perfect alliance for the 21st century
On the one hand, the loss of priceless cultural heritage due to climate change – rising water levels, sudden weather phenomena, rising temperatures – is already a real threat in many places around the world. On the other hand, the potential of the world’s heritage, both tangible and intangible, to significantly reduce human impact on the environment and climate cannot be overestimated.
An important goal of the CHN, which the Sendzimir Foundation is determined to fulfil in Poland, is to support organizations and individuals involved in the protection of heritage buildings in understanding their role in decarbonisation and reduction of carbon footprint at the national and international level. It is essential to recognize and effectively respond to possible and actual tensions between heritage conservation and urgent measures to be taken to mitigate climate change.
Working group Making the Case for Building Reuse as Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Pathway
The activities within the Working Group 3 are of particular interest to the Sendzimir Foundation. Its purpose is to collect data and resources demonstrating the benefits of reusing and refurbishing buildings in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is important to develop tools to support decision-making on planned renovation activities e.g., calculators to estimate the savings in carbon dioxide emissions that can be achieved by renovating a historic building, instead of demolishing it and building a new one. It is equally important to develop practical guidelines for investors and owners of historic buildings on the pro-ecological measures that could be implemented.
We are convinced that the exchange of experiences will be bilateral and thanks to participation in CHN activities, our publication – the final product of the two-year project Climate Mitigation in Heritage Buildings – will reach wider audience.
About Climate Heritage Network
The Climate Heritage Network was launched in October 2019 in Edinburgh, Scotland by over 70 arts, culture and heritage organisations. Later that year the CHN released its first action plan at an event held in Madrid at COP25, the 2019 UN Climate Summit. Dubbed the Madrid-to-Glasgow Arts, Culture and Heritage Climate Action Plan, the plan’s release kicks off a year of culture-based climate action that will culminate in November 2021 at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland.
The Climate Heritage Network connects organisations around the world that share a common commitment to strengthening the use of arts, culture, and heritage to help communities tackle climate change and achieve the ambitions of the Paris Agreement. CHN Members include government boards, offices, ministries at all levels, site management agencies, Indigenous People’s Organisations, as well as NGOs, universities, businesses, and other organizations.
The announcement of new members, including the Sendzimir Foundation, was first made on 15 February 2021 at a meeting of the network’s International Steering Committee (see the press release).
Full list of new member organisations.
Photos used by Markus Spiske on Unsplash, Paweł Czerwiński on Unsplash.
