Culture for Climate Action

SEACHA’s mission, to promote commitment to cultural heritage protection and safeguard Southeast Asian cultural heritage for future generations, would be impossible to pursue in the modern era without addressing the relationship between cultural heritage and climate change. Climate change is the greatest threat to humanity and the world today. While global warming poses a threat to cultural heritage preservation and the practice of heritage traditions, cultural heritage can also provide ways to fight back against climate change.

The wisdoms of cultural heritage are immense, and combating climate change through cultural heritage wisdom has innumerable benefits that have yet to be explored. If communities adopt local heritage practices and philosophies designed with their unique environments in mind, they can make an impact. Culture-based climate action provides an accessible way for anyone, anywhere to both connect with their cultural heritage and take action against climate change.

SEACHA’s work to raise awareness of culture for climate action has only just begun, but already we have accomplished great feats. In 2023, we hosted a conference, co-chaired the Working Group for Culture at COP28 (The UN Climate Change Conference 2023), and held six side events at COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In our work, we share three key messages for culture-based climate action: to share the methods of traditional, climate-friendly living in harmony with nature; the potential for adapting age-old and eco-friendly principles of traditional architecture and urban design to create better modern homes and cities, and the ways that culturally deep, spiritual traditions can wrap nature together with humanity to form a basis of activism.

Co-Chair of the Working Committee for Culture@COP28

COP28 saw incredible advancements in political commitments to incorporate culture within climate action strategies. These advancements were the results of continuous efforts made by Climate Heritage Network (CHN) with its mission to gain political commitments from member states to engage with cultural heritage, the arts, and creative industries in the UN-led global climate change agenda. We as SEACHA are proud to have been a part of this work since earlier this year as co-chairs of the Culture@COP28 Working Group together with the Petra National Trust (PNT).

These accomplishments include:

• The Culture@COP28 Working Group initiated two strategic moves just before the COP28 started: the Global Call to Action that mobilizes non-state actors/organizations/networks by collecting signatories calling to put culture at the heart of climate action. It has received tremendous support from a diverse worldwide coalition with over 1,500 signatories including leaders and global institutions. The Global Call sets forth plans to secure the adoption of a Joint Work on Culture and Climate Action Decision (JWD) at COP29, which would lead to the adoption of the first-ever UNFCCC Work Plan on Culture at COP30.

• The occurrence of the first ever multilateral High-Level Ministerial Dialogue on Culture-based Climate Action, in which SEACHA Vice-Chairperson, Ms. Moe Moe Lwin, participated as a representative of a non-state cultural organization. It was attended by Ministers and high-level officials from governments of 25+ nations and 4 intergovernmental organizations.

• Through the ministerial, COP28 also saw the launch of the GFCBCA (Group of Friends of Culture-based Climate Actions) initiative. Over 25 nations pledged to join GFCBCA which is co-chaired by Ministers of Culture from Brazil and UAE.  The adoption of the Emirates Declaration on Cultural–based Climate Action at the meeting also posed a landmark commitment to explore, discuss, and enact culture-based climate solutions. These initiatives are starting points that will also secure adoption of the JWD.