Sustainability and Climate Action Community Challenge Programme

International Community Challenge Overview

Conservators and cultural heritage professionals inherently care about sustainability - the preservation of cultural heritage is linked to the preservation of humanity and our planet. We have seen the positive impact we can have as a profession by coming together to engage and discuss with open minds the best routes to tackle the global challenges we face. Now, as we take on one of the biggest environmental crises of our time, what are we actually doing to be more sustainable? How can we all engage in the climate agenda?

Take a look at IIC's 'A Time for Climate Action in Heritage Conservation' Google Arts and Culture exhibition page from COP26, and the different ways conservators and conservation professionals are responding to this challenge all over the world.

What's Coming Up

You can take part in IIC's new 'Net Zero' initiative and catch up with sessions from 'Sustainable Solutions for Conservation: New Strategies for New Times'  Lima Congress on the new IIC Learning Space.

IIC Members will have free online access to this learning space as part of their membership until 31 March 2025 - if you are a member and have not got access get in touch with the IIC Office.

How you can participate and make a difference

"It's more interesting to make change happen than to be swept along by it"  Velson Horie

You can commit to net zero and take part in IIC's new Net Zero initiative - find out more here.

Details and guidance on additional resources available to IIC members are on the IIC Community platform. 

If you are a conservator or cultural heritage professional making change happen and are willing to share insights regarding sustainability and your most impactful actions, please get in touch with IIC's Regional Programme Manager, Marina Herriges. We are looking for blog and article contributors for the IIC Community and News in Conservation e-magazine. Please contact: marina.herriges@iiconservation.org

Joint Committment for Climate Action in Cultural Heritage

The Joint Commitment for Climate Action is a global initiative that unites three of the leading international bodies (IIC, ICOM-CC and ICCROM) within the conservation sector for cultural heritage. 

You can find out all about the announcement and watch the launch video here. 

Resources and Past Programme Activity

Below is an outline of our activities from the last three years. IIC members can access recorded sessions and learning materials on the IIC Community platform from the table below. We have also included links to external partner content and publications where available. 

20 September 2019IIC Declaration: Climate and Environmental Emergency IIC Declaration and Call to Action
24 October 2019Endorsing partner to Climate Heritage Network launch event.Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) 
6 March 2020Partner to the Stemming the Tide: Global Strategies for Sustaining Cultural Heritage Through Climate Change symposium at the Smithsonian, Washington, D.C.

The IIC Point of the Matter Dialogue was hosted as part of the symposium Heritage at Risk: A Dialogue on the Effects of Climate Change 

"Watch Parties" were also hosted throughout 2020 on Facebook.

29 July 2020Online Member Meeting - recording available on IIC Community platformThe Future of Sustainability
4 November 2020IIC Dialogue Chaired by Dr Ewan Hyslop (Historic Envronment Scotland and Climate Heritage Network) 'Climate Change and Covid-19: What is the heritage impact?'
12 April 2021 (12-4pm CEST)IIC President, Julian Bickersteth at the G20 Webinar Addressing the Climate Crisis Through Culture
19 April 2021 (8 p.m. BST)AGM Talk with Dr Jenny Newell, Australian Museum. (Recording available on IIC Community platform)Reaching Carbon Neutral at the Australian Museum and the Role of Conservators
15 October 2021Joint Committment for Climate Action in Cultural Heritage: IIC, ICOM-CC and ICCROMFormal announcment,Joint Commitment for Climate Action in Cultural Heritage
30 October to 12 November  2021COP26 - IIC Official Green Zone Exhibitor, Edit-a-Thon and film release.

Film: Nothing is Stable

Report: From the Green Zone

Google Arts + Culture: IIC A Time for Action in Cultural Heritage Conservation

10 November to 11 November 2021IIC International Edit-a-thon 2021 : live and at COP26 Glasgow #IICEditsClimate - 24 hour global edit-a-thon  in partnership with Wikimedia UK
25 March 2022Our Collections Matter: Connecting the dots between cultural collections and sustainable developmentBlended online course and workshop with ICCROM for IIC members.
2 Year Project (2022-2023)Net Zero: Heritage for Climate Action  Initiative led by ICCROM with activities supported by IIC.
10 November 2022Sustainability Art: People, Practice, Planet in Contemporary Art Conservation Online Workshop  for IIC Members with Henry McGhie and Jose Luiz Pederzoli (ICCROM) Our Collections Matter.
16 - 17 November 2022 IIC International Edit-aThon 2022 : live and online at COP27 Egypt#IICEditsClimate - 24 hour global edit-a-thon  in partnership with Wikimedia UK
30 January 2023, 6.45pm (GMT)AGM Talk with David Saunders, "the museum environment in an era of sustainability" this will be a hybrid event.Courtauld Research Centre. 
March 2023 & July 2023A Climate of Change: Round Table Series Post Congress Events Programme - Conservation and Change: Adaptation, Response and Leadership.
March to April 2024IIC's new Net Zero pilot initiative - find out more here. Launched at the IIC's AGM in January 2024, with a presentation from Dr nick Merriman OBE.IIC's new climate action and sustainability initiative to support a credible pathway to the Net Zero for the sector.
 September 2024Sustainable Solutions for Conservation: New Strategies for New Times30th Biennial Congress Lima 2024

 

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