Climate Heritage Initiative

Since 1965, WMF has adapted to ensure that it is tackling the most pressing problems facing historic sites around the world. In recent years, this has meant focusing on climate-related threats to heritage places as rainfall patterns change, severe storms grow more frequent, and sea levels rise. Our work at the nexus of climate change and heritage consists of both mitigation (limiting greenhouse gas emissions) and adaptation (safeguarding communities from the worst effects of climate change).

In 2024, building upon these longstanding commitments, we launched our Climate Heritage Initiative (CHI) to redouble our commitment to using heritage preservation as a climate solution. While climate change has had and will continue to have damaging effects on both material and intangible heritage, preservation can not only ameliorate the immediate impact on buildings and sites but make places and their communities less vulnerable in the long term.

Parks and gardens are uniquely vulnerable to shifts in climate, whether from increased flooding or longer dry spells, invasive pests or new plant diseases. Identifying immediate risks to historic gardens will allow us to preserve valuable urban green spaces that counter the urban heat island effect, mitigate pollution, foster biodiversity, and provide places for recreation to support wellness.

The glasshouses of historic botanical gardens are both sites of wonder and important research centers, but the structures often have outdated, carbon-intensive heating systems. Creating a model for the sustainable energy transition of these buildings would be a major feat. WMF is partnering with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in the UK to pilot strategies that drastically reduce emissions and can be applied at similar structures around the world.