On 15 July 2024, leading experts in heritage and climate action convened at The Home of the Human Safety Net in Venice to engage in a vital dialogue on sustainability, social cohesion, and the future of this World Heritage Site historic city. The event, set against the stunning backdrop of Piazza San Marco, highlighted Venice’s ongoing commitment to becoming a global capital of sustainability and its status as a recognised resilience hub by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
Organised under the framework of the European Heritage Hub project, led by Europa Nostra, the event brought together notable experts including Sara C. Bronin, Chair of the US Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and member of the Advisory Council for the European Heritage Hub; Pierpaolo Campostrini, Managing Director of CORILA, a consortium dedicated to the coordination of research activities concerning the Venice lagoon system; Alessandro Costa, Director General of the Venice Sustainability Foundation and member of the Advisory Council for the European Heritage Hub; and Emma Ursich, Executive Officer of The Human Safety Net and Group Head of Corporate Identity of Generali. Renowned journalist Marco Zatterin moderated the discussion, bringing his expertise in European geopolitics and history.
The dialogue, opened by Alexia Boro, Director of The Home of The Human Safety Net, and Carla Toffolo, Programme Manager at Europa Nostra, explored the critical foundations needed for Venice’s sustainable future.
Participants agreed on the importance of learning through action, positioning Venice as a living laboratory for sustainability experiments. The city’s intercultural heritage was also recognised as a crucial element in its resilience. Speakers underscored that while Venice shares the global challenges of climate change, its historical resilience provides a unique opportunity to lead by example. Bringing in a cross-continental perspective to the discussion, Sara Bronin emphasised the value of indigenous knowledge in climate action, highlighting the potential benefits of zoning regulations for Venice, drawing parallels with successful practices in the United States.
The event is part of the Hub’s ongoing effort to integrate culture and heritage into climate action. In September 2023, The Home of the Human Safety Net hosted the Hub’s first in-person Forum, titled Reimagining the Anthropocene: Putting Culture and Heritage at the Heart of Climate Action, during the European Cultural Heritage Summit. Discussions from this Forum fed into the Global Call for Culture-Based Climate Action, which culminated in the establishment of the Group of Friends of Culture-Based Climate Action and the adoption of the Emirates Declaration on Culture-Based Climate Action at COP28 in Dubai.
