ICOMOS Climate Literacy Training and Tallinn Workshop for European Historic Homes

On December 3-5, the Estonian Committee of the international expert organization for heritage conservation, ICOMOS, in cooperation with the ICOMOS Climate and Heritage Working Group, the ICOMOS European Energy Directive Working Group, the ICOMOS Energy Efficiency Scientific Committee, the Tallinn City Government, the Estonian Heritage Board, the Ministry of Culture, the Life HeritageHomes project team and several other partners, will organize a climate and heritage training program with open seminars. The training and seminars, which will take place in Tallinn and online, are aimed at heritage specialists and communities in Estonia and the European countries.

This is a four-day program consisting of training and two open seminars:

1. Climate Literacy Training for Cultural Heritage Experts on December 3rd from 10 am to 4 pm at the Statehood house
2. Open Seminar and Think Tank “European Heritage Homes in Climate Change” on December 4th from 10 am to 3 pm at the Tallinn Town Hall
3. Expert Study Tour in Tallinn Old Town on December 5th
4. Heritage Day in Kalamaja “Climate-Friendly Materials and Methods in Estonian Wood Architecture” on December 6th from 10 am to 4 pm

On December 3rd, ICOMOS Climate Literacy Training for Heritage Specialists (CLTH) will take place in the Statehood Building and online.

The ICOMOS Climate Literacy Training for Heritage Specialists (CLTH) has grown out of the “Preserving Legacies” project developed by the ICOMOS Climate Action Working Group (CAWG) and funded by the National Geographic Society. It is suitable for all people working in the cultural heritage sector and does not require prior knowledge of climate change. The content of the CLTH is in line with key international documents, including the UNESCO Policy Document on Climate Action for World Heritage, the Paris Agreement on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and is an important step towards achieving the goals of the Global Adaptation Goal, which calls on Parties to develop “adaptive strategies to preserve cultural practices and heritage sites and to build climate-resilient infrastructure, guided by traditional knowledge, indigenous knowledge and local knowledge systems”. The training modules, which will take place on 3 December, are (1) climate science and its impacts; (2) carbon footprint and vulnerability; (3) adaptation and mitigation; (4) climate justice and equity; (5) implementation of the World Heritage Climate Policy Guidelines; (6) global initiatives for heritage adaptation. The training is aimed at the Nordic-Baltic region of Europe and will be held in English. The training materials will be translated into Estonian. More information below

On December 4, an open seminar “European Heritage Homes in Climate Change” will be held at Tallinn Town Hall

The importance of European historic buildings in achieving climate goals is a central topic in the world and in Europe in light of the Energy Directive, and this is also the main topic of the open seminar to be held on December 4. Speakers from Europe will present the experiences of different countries in achieving climate goals for historic buildings, including examples from Great Britain, Ireland, Belgium, and Estonia. We will present the results of the ICOMOS EPBD working group on European experience in implementing the Energy Efficiency Directive. Climate and heritage guidance material is being compiled within the framework of the Estonian Heritage Homes project. We will discuss the guidance materials for historic buildings prepared by this project and the preparation of a heritage charter. The seminar, which will be held with the participation of well-known European experts, is a good opportunity for international cooperation on heritage and climate issues in Estonia. We invite all those involved in historic buildings to participate and contribute to the discussion. The seminar will be held in a hybrid format, with a maximum number of participants on site of 80. The working language of the seminar is English, with simultaneous interpretation in Estonian.

On December 5, an expert study tour will be held in Tallinn Old Town for participants of the previous training days in cooperation with the Tallinn City Government and ICOMOS Estonia.

On December 6, an Estonian-language open heritage day and workshop “Climate-friendly materials and methods in Estonian wooden architecture” will be held in cooperation with ICOMOS, SRIK, Majatohter, and Tallinn Reuse Centre.

At this seminar, we will focus on the various connections between well-preserved historical houses and traditional materials, as well as on modern uses of traditional climate-friendly materials and the reuse of old materials. The seminar will take place at the Sustainable Renovation Centre in Kalamaja, where architects, designers, heritage specialists, restorers and homeowners will discuss best practices together. Then, we will visit new or under-construction objects that use ecological materials or reuse old materials and building elements.

For more information and registration for the full training program, please contact ave.paulus@icomos.org. Registration for the open seminars opens on November 15th.

4-day Programme Structure

Capacity: Up to 30 participants per session, open seminar for 100 persons
Format: 4-day intensive programme (consists of separate modules that can be taken separately)
Partners and workshop participants: ICOMOS Climate Action Working Group and ICOMOS Estonia, partnership calls to ICOMOS Nordic-Baltic Region, ISCES, ICOMOS EPBD WG, UNESCO Tallinn stakeholders, Ministry of Culture, Heritage Board of Estonia, Tallinn City Government, Estonian Academy of Arts

Description of the outcomes and relevance of the modules

MODULE 1 – TRAINING FOR 30 HERITAGE EXPERTS (in English)

3. December, Tallinn, Estonian Statehood House and Hybrid

ICOMOS Climate Literacy Foundational Training Module targeted for North Europe

The climate literacy training for heritage professionals addresses key topics identified as baseline competencies for heritage professionals in the ICOMOS Future of our Pasts Report (2019). These, in turn, reflect the key pillars of climate action outlined in the UNFCCC Paris Agreement (UNFCCC 2015). It is built around four cross-cutting themes. These are: 

1. Climate Science and Impacts; 

2. Carbon Footprints and Vulnerability; 

3. Adaptation and Mitigation, and 

4. Climate Justice and Equity. 

ICOMOS Climate Literacy Training for Heritage Professionals (CLTH) builds on a resource designed by the ICOMOS Climate Action Working Group (CAWG) through the Preserving Legacies project funded by the National Geographic Society and aims to develop place- and cultural heritage-based climate adaptation actions, transforming conservation practice as a field to meet the challenges of the climate crisis.

CLTH provides participants with an understanding of humanity’s impact on the climate and guidance on effected responses. It represents a core adaptation strategy which boosts the adaptive capacity of communities and reduces climate risk. It explores the intersections between culture and climate, examining both how climate change impacts culture and how culture can contribute to climate action. 

CLTH aims to build confidence and promote action by providing a foundational knowledge of key language, concepts and ways to respond. It is suitable for anyone working in the cultural heritage sector and assumes no prior knowledge of climate change. The content of the CLTH aligns with important international documents including the UNESCO Policy Document on Climate Action for World Heritage, the ICOMOS Future of our Pasts Report and the Global Research and Action Agenda from the ICOMOS-UNESCO-IPCC International Co-Sponsored Meeting on Culture, Heritage and Climate Change. CLTH supportS key climate change policy including the UNFCCC Paris Agreement and is a key step in achieving the targets of the Global Goal on Adaptation which calls on Parties to develop ‘adaptive strategies for preserving cultural practices and heritage sites and by designing climate-resilient infrastructure, guided by traditional knowledge, Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge and local knowledge systems’.

MODULE 2

4. December. Open seminar “Historic Homes of North Europe in Climate Action”

Tallinn Town Hall, maximum 80 people, synchronous translation to Estonian, hybrid seminar.

Seminar and workshop on climate solutions for historic buildings and provided for historic buildings of Europe in collaboration with ISCES, EPBD WG, Wood committee and Stone committee 

The public seminar serves as the participants’ contribution to the wider audience and region, centring on the themes of the workshop whilst bringing forward the competence and expertise of the participants. This component transforms the learning experience into knowledge sharing, allowing participants to present their findings, insights, and proposed solutions to local heritage professionals, community members, and stakeholders, democratising, empowering and deputising communities in the preservation of their heritage.

MODULE 3

5. December, workshop on Old limestone houses of medieval Tallinn. Applied community workshop. English, Estonian, with translation. No livestream.

The workshop creates a platform for dialogue between the international cohort of heritage professionals and the local Tallinn Old Town heritag managers and communities, homeowners, and experts, fostering the exchange of best practices and collaborative approaches to climate adaptation, and embracing a plural knowledge approach based on the equitable and open sharing of knowledge and experience. Through this engagement, participants not only consolidate their learning but also contribute to building climate literacy within the broader heritage sector, ensuring that the knowledge gained during the intensive workshop modules reaches and benefits the wider regional heritage network.

MODULE 4

6. December, workshop on wooden houses of Kalamaja, Tallinn. Workshop “Climate-Smart materials and methods in Estonian Traditional Architecture” In Estonian, possible English translation.

Sustainable renovation is a modern discipline that deals with the antique values of historical houses while also considering environmental values. In our seminar, we focus on the different connections we have to historic well-preserved houses with traditional materials, and also to modern ways of using traditional climate-friendly materials, and how to reuse old materials. We will have a seminar in a sustainable renovation centre in Kalamaja where architects, designers, heritage specialists, restorers and houseowners together are discussing best practices and then will visit some sites, fresh or under construction, where theyare using ecological materials or are reusing old materials and building elements.

Contact: Ave Paulus, ave.paulus@icomos.org