Across the globe, the omission of heritage from climate change adaptation policy and finance is a barrier to scaling up work to protect culture and heritage from climate-related risks. But the new Global Goal on Adaptation Framework (GGA) adopted by national governments around the world offers an opportunity to begin fixing this problem. The GGA Framework guides governments in their efforts to protect people and ecosystems from climate change, and includes the protection of heritage sites and cultural practices as one of its seven thematic climate adaptation targets. This breakthrough recognition of heritage in international climate policy offers a path to climate finance for heritage adaptation projects and to including heritage advocates in local, regional and national climate policy making. The Heritage Adapts to Climate Alliance has been launched to ensure that this potential is realized through robust, timely engagement by heritage advocates in the implementation of the GGA.

A joint initiative of Preserving Legacies and the Climate Heritage Network, HACA is a volunteer community of practice open to all community advocates, knowledge holders, and heritage practitioners working at the intersection of heritage and climate adaptation. Through the HACA online platform, HACA members can:
Receive up-to-date information about opportunities to participate in the implementation of the GGA and access a library of GGA information.
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Collaborate on the submission of research, insights, and experiences to the UNFCCC’s UAE – Belém work programme to develop GGA indicators, including for measuring progress in protecting heritage sites and cultural practices from climate change.
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Help mainstream GGA heritage policy outcomes into national policy and help local communities leverage them for effective, equitable adaptation of their cultural heritage.
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Join informal discussions to assess the current state of knowledge on adaptation of cultural heritage and efforts to fill gaps.