The UNESCO Climate Action and Sustainability Research Agenda sets out a 5–10-year vision for UNESCO sites to act as “living laboratories” for climate resilience and sustainability transitions. Developed through the UKNC’s Climate Change and UNESCO Heritage (CCUH) project, it identifies how World Heritage Sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks can support world-leading research that is rooted in place, community, and long-term collaboration.
Grounded in a major evidence review and extensive engagement with researchers, practitioners and UNESCO site managers, the Agenda outlines a set of strategic research themes:
Environment: developing innovative approaches to adaptation, mitigation, nature recovery and climate resilience.
Governance: understanding how policy, institutions and partnerships can enable more systemic climate action.
Society: strengthening social resilience, inclusion, wellbeing and community-led sustainability practices.
Research Infrastructure: improving the social, digital and technological systems needed for effective, ethical and cross-site research.
The Agenda provides a shared framework for universities, funders, governments and UNESCO sites to design research that is scalable, interdisciplinary and aligned with real-world challenges. It supports UNESCO’s global goals by promoting integrated, place-based research that links local action to international knowledge, and positions UNESCO sites as a unique global infrastructure for climate and sustainability science.
