Last week in Salvador, Brazil, the first ever G20 Culture and Climate Summit was held alongside the G20 negotiations. Hosted by culture minister Margreth Menezes – this augers well for Culture at COP30. As this week COP29 begins in Baku, Azerbaijan – we share updates from the Global Call to Action to put Culture at the Heart of Climate Policy.
Today, 12th November, is World Leaders Climate Action day at COP and the UK government has committed to a significantly more ambitious target, to cut emissions by 81% compared with 1990 levels by 2035. This is a more ambitious commitment that will be met only if a clean transition is woven across all sectors of the economy and society including the creative and cultural sector.
It is a really good moment for us all to show our commitment, an invitation for us to bring creativity to the green and just transition. Last week, the US election made the challenges greater, and now we are needed more than ever.
Read on to find out more about what we are planning at this year’s COP and beyond.
Putting Culture at the Heart of Climate Policy – Support the Campaign
Cultural voices from across the world are uniting!
We are calling on national governments’ climate negotiators assembling at COP, to put cultural heritage, arts and creative industries at the heart of climate action. Culture-led solutions that are inclusive, local as well as global, and focused on people and nature are already abundant. Yet in spite of this potential, culture has not been recognised formally in UNFCCC climate policy and planning.
We need as many individuals and organisations as possible to show support for this campaign. If you recognise culture’s power to unlock climate action,add your voice to the Global Call today!
The Campaign has been busy since COP28 in Dubai (UAE) last year. We have explainers, documents and information on the campaign and it’s requests to the UNFCCC (the UN body that coordinates global action on climate change) at COP.
Culture-based climate solutions have long been missing from global climate talks. COP30 next year in Brazil can change this. But in order for Belém to be remembered as the place where culture-based climate solutions were on the agenda, the topic must first be addressed at COP29.
The Global Call campaign is seeking to have a cultural workshop request included in the final decisions taken at COP29. This short text would express a request by the COP that the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies hold workshops to consider issues related to culture and heritage before their 62nd session in Bonn in 2025. This is with the aim of exchanging views and the Conference of Parties adopting a decision on this matter at COP30 in Belém. The outcome of this workshop would then form the basis for a broader consideration of culture at COP30.
Tabling and adoption of a ‘Joint Work Decision’ at COP30 is the a key goal of the Global Call campaign. Securing a culture workshop request from COP29 is a key prerequisite to achieving that goal.
High Level Ministerial Meeting at COP, Dubai, 2023.
Sign up to watch the High Level Ministerial at COP29
The 2nd High-Level Ministerial for Culture-Based Climate Action at COP29 will take place on 15 November 2024 in Baku.
This second meeting is co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan and the co-chairs of the Group of Friends , Brazil and the United Arab Emirates. The Global Call campaign will be urging the participants to take more concerted action towards achieving the ultimate goal of a UNFCCC work plan on culture. Global call signatories will be represented by HRH Princess Dana Firas of Jordan, the Climate Heritage Network’s Special Envoy to the Ministerial Dialogue. Read the programme for the Ministerial.
Visit the Global Call’s website to read more about the Group of Friends and see which countries have already joined.
Will you be at COP29 in Baku? If you are putting on or attending a culture or heritage event, please add it to this Culture @ COP29 events spreadsheet so that those working in culture and heritage can support each other’s events at COP this year.
The Global Call to Action campaign has prepared some graphics that you can use to incorporate into your own designs to promote culture at COP. Visit the Global Call to Action Campaign Trello to access the social media toolkit.
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Will you be at COP29? Let us know!