New Climate Change Committee report highlights cultural heritage as part of the UK’s adaptation challenge - and solution

Published on 20 May 2026, the report sets out the growing risks that climate change poses to people, places, nature, infrastructure and the economy across the UK. For the first time, the Committee’s independent assessment includes a dedicated chapter on cultural heritage, recognising that historic buildings, collections, archaeological sites, cultural landscapes and internationally designated places are already being affected by flooding, coastal erosion, storms, heat, drought and wildfire.

The report warns that the UK was built for a climate that no longer exists, and that adaptation must now become a national priority. It identifies three major hazards - heat, flooding and drought - while also stressing that climate risks do not sit neatly within individual sectors. Many of the most serious impacts will cascade across systems, including land, water, infrastructure, public services, nature, communities and heritage.

For the UK’s UNESCO sites, this recognition is significant. World Heritage Sites, Biosphere Reserves, Global Geoparks and Creative Cities are home to some of the UK’s most important natural, cultural and scientific assets. They are also living places: landscapes, communities, institutions and partnerships already working across conservation, education, research, tourism, land management and local development.

The report makes clear that cultural heritage is at risk from climate change, but it also points toward the role heritage can play in adaptation. It highlights the need for long-term adaptation planning for heritage assets at risk, proposing that by 2035, all cultural heritage assets managed for public good and deemed “at risk” should have a long-term adaptation plan, and that by 2050, climate risks for all at-risk cultural heritage assets should be managed.

Importantly, the report also identifies examples of practical adaptation already taking place. These include nature-based solutions at Goldrill Beck in the Lake District UNESCO World Heritage Site, where river re-meandering, floodplain restoration, ponds and ditches are being used to reduce flood risk while supporting the wider landscape.

The UK National Commission for UNESCO engaged with the Climate Change Committee during the development of the report, drawing on evidence and learning from the UK Government-funded Climate Change and UNESCO Heritage project. This work has explored how UNESCO sites can act as practical platforms for place-based climate action, bringing together communities, local authorities, researchers, land managers, cultural organisations and public bodies to understand climate risks and develop shared responses.

Through the project, UKNC has developed FutureScapes, a practical platform and methodology to help UNESCO sites and other place-based partnerships bring people, data and decision-making together. The approach includes stakeholder mapping, data mapping, threat and opportunity assessment, and collaborative working - supporting places in moving from understanding climate risk to shaping practical adaptation pathways.

The CCC report also recognises the role of the UK National Commission for UNESCO within the cultural heritage system, noting that UNESCO World Heritage responsibilities are delegated to the government-funded but independent UK National Commission for UNESCO. It also identifies the importance of international conventions, including UNESCO agreements, within the UK’s wider adaptation and heritage responsibilities.

Matt Rabagliati, Head of Policy, Research and Communications at the UK National Commission for UNESCO, said:

“This report is an important moment because it recognises cultural heritage as part of the UK’s climate adaptation challenge. But UNESCO sites are not only places at risk - they are also part of the solution. Through the Climate Change and UNESCO Heritage project and FutureScapes, we are showing how UNESCO sites can bring people, data and decision-making together to support practical, place-based climate action.”

The publication of A Well-Adapted UK reinforces the need to treat heritage not as a separate or secondary concern, but as part of the UK’s critical social, cultural and environmental infrastructure. As climate impacts intensify, UNESCO sites can help demonstrate how adaptation can be grounded in place, shaped by communities, informed by evidence and connected to international learning.

The UK National Commission for UNESCO will continue working with government, UNESCO sites and partners across the UK to support practical, place-based responses to climate change and to ensure that culture and heritage are fully recognised within national adaptation policy.

Read the Climate Change Committee report: A Well-Adapted UK: The Fourth Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk.