This text provides a summary of the Emirates Declaration on Cultural-based Climate Action, focusing on the intersection of culture and climate change. The declaration acknowledges the urgent need for ambitious efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C and emphasizes the devastating impacts of climate change on tangible and intangible heritage. It highlights the crucial role of culture in achieving the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement and promoting low carbon, just, and climate resilient futures.
The declaration outlines commitments to integrate culture into climate action and to promote culture-based climate action at the UNFCCC. It calls for collaboration across sectors, including culture, to address climate change and stresses the importance of international and multi-stakeholder cooperation in strengthening socio-cultural enabling conditions for responding to climate change. The document also emphasizes the need to support artists, creatives, indigenous knowledge holders, and culture and heritage workers whose livelihoods are threatened by climate change.
Furthermore, it underscores the significance of scaling-up culture and heritage-based strategies for enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience, and reducing vulnerability to climate change impacts. The declaration also highlights the importance of promoting sustainable and resilient communities by supporting vulnerable people through approaches that value diverse knowledge systems and cultural expressions. It emphasizes the need to maximize climate, social, and environmental co-benefits, such as social cohesion, wellbeing, creativity, education, and intercultural dialogue, across various sectors.
In conclusion, the Emirates Declaration on Cultural-based Climate Action underscores the critical role of culture in addressing climate change and outlines actionable commitments to integrate culture into climate action, promote sustainable communities, and maximize co-benefits across sectors.
