Gardens Trust signs Climate Heritage Manifesto

The Gardens Trust has signed a manifesto which aims to accelerate action on climate change through the power of arts, culture and heritage. The Gardens Trust joins over 190 international cultural and heritage who have also signed up to the manifesto, which provides key messages on culture and climate change aimed at the 2021 United Nations Climate Conference (COP26).

Aims of the manifesto

The manifesto seeks to activate those involved in arts, culture, and heritage to take climate action through communication and engagement, inspiring and assisting their constituents, members and audiences to increase ambition in tackling climate change. It aims to encourage organisations to change their own behaviours and to engage with climate change policy development at local and national government and intergovernmental level.

Peter Hughes, Chairman of the Gardens Trust, said ‘We all need to do our bit to impress on everyone the urgent need to take action and to treat our environment with respect. Our marvellous heritage of parks and gardens is under threat and global warming is likely to inflict irreparable damage on them.’

Simultaneously, in order to meet the urgency of the climate emergency, it strives to inspire and encourage greater collaboration on climate action with other sectors and partners that have not traditionally engaged with cultural organisations.

The manifesto has been signed by nearly 200 cultural organisations and institutions, businesses, universities and other stakeholders, including Historic England, the National Trust, CADW and Historic Environment Scotland. Together we are signalling our shared ambition to create just, thriving, and resilient communities today and into the future.

Read the full Climate Heritage Network Manifesto