Today's Edition
BAKU (WAM)
The Group of Friends for Culture-Based Climate Action (GFCBCA) at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held a high-level Ministerial Dialogue at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
This was the second Ministerial Dialogue on Culture-Based Climate Action following the inaugural meeting at COP28 in Dubai last year.
The GFCBCA at UNFCCC was officially announced by its co-chairs, Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, UAE Minister of Culture, and Margareth Menezes, Minister of Culture of Brazil at COP28.
This coalition, comprising 40 countries and 25 intergovernmental agencies and organisations, advocates for recognising the integral role of culture in climate change policies.
It aims to generate political momentum for effective, cohesive, and coordinated global action, formally acknowledging the significance of culture and heritage in climate policies, plans and initiatives.
Commenting on the Ministerial Dialogue, Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi said, “This High-Level Meeting is an opportunity to share insights, best practices, and innovative approaches to integrating culture into climate policies and programmes. We aim to establish a robust framework for collaborative action and foster an open exchange and partnership between the Global North and the Global South.
“It’s time the world acknowledged the role of culture as a critical tool for climate cation. Culture is also an asset that needs to be safeguarded from the ill-effects of rising temperatures and sea-levels and other factors impacting our planet. Recognising the urgent need for collective and inclusive action to combat climate change, we see culture as a powerful force that shapes values, influences behaviour, and plays a key role in driving transformative climate solutions. The GFCBCA will play a significant role in raising ambition and gathering global powers to collectively drive transformation.”
This High-Level Meeting built on the achievements of last year’s meeting, aiming to foster dialogue and build consensus on the critical role of culture in addressing climate change and accelerating global adaptation efforts.
The ministers discussed ways to implement the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience (2/CMA.5), adopted at COP28, focusing on the thematic target of protecting cultural heritage from the impacts of climate-related risks.
The discussions highlighted how traditional knowledge systems can inform strategies for preserving cultural practices and heritage sites and enhance adaptation through climate-resilient infrastructure.
With the vision to promote culture as a tool for adaptation, the discussions encompassed culturally driven policy initiatives to be included in the delivery of National Adaptation Plans (NAP) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
The coalition also addressed the need for fostering diversity of cultural expressions by bolstering support for vulnerable communities and enhancing research and innovation in the field.
Boosting collaboration at country-level and internationally to drive collective action was emphasised throughout the discussions.
The dialogue aimed to establish a clear framework for culture-based climate action, outlining guiding principles, goals, and expected outcomes for the initiative.
It underscored the need to enhance North-South and South-South exchanges by fostering knowledge sharing, capacity building, and collaboration between developed and developing nations to promote equitable climate solutions.
Additionally, it also emphasised the importance of data collection and developing methodologies for measuring the impact of culture-based climate initiatives.
