Any stakeholder group, institution, or organization may make a Heritage Adapts! Pledge through an authorized representative. This includes formal or informal groups that are actively involved in the stewardship of heritage, or whose interests may be affected as a result of interaction or changes to a particular heritage site, institution, or cultural practice. Key stakeholder groups  may include any of the following when not otherwise a rights holder:

• government and customary authorities at all levels;
• sponsors, funders, and investors;
• local, national, and international heritage organisations; 
• foundations, NGOs, community-based organizations, and other interested organizations (e.g., “Friends of the Park” type organizations);
• cultural and memory institutions (galleries, libraries, archives, museums); 
• researching institutes, universities, and specialist groups;
• associations of customers, consultants, contractors, suppliers, and workers;
• neighborhood associations and other groups of local people living around a site; 
• tourist associations, guide groups, and tourism agencies;
• facilities management, organizers, management teams;
• performing organizations;
• organizations of users of sites or collection and audience groups,
• professional associations or other expert groups. 

Both rights holding individuals and right holding groups, institutions and organizations may authorize a Heritage Adapts! Pledge. ICOMOS’s Our Common Dignity Rights-Based Approaches Working Group (OCD|RBA) defines rights holders in heritage as individuals or groups that have legal or moral rights towards heritage that must be recognised, respected and protected, based on human rights principles exemplified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). These rights include civil rights, cultural rights, property rights, and intellectual property rights, among others. Rights holders  are defined by their entitlement to these rights, and their interests are often linked to justice, equality, and dignity.

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Rights holders include:

• legal owners (including property and intellectual property owners) and governance and/or management entities, managers, directors, or customary custodians of a sites, objects and collections (for example a library, museum or other cultural institution or a management authority); 
• duty bearers (i.e., an actor that has an obligation to respect, protect, and fulfill human rights related to cultural and natural heritage);
• Individual Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations, as it regards customary lands, manifestations and expressions of their culture and heritage;
• cultural practitioners and knowledge bearers as to relevant cultural practices and associated “Heritage Communities.”  By way of example, Heritage Communities are defined by the Council of Europe’s 2005 Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (better known as the Faro Convention) as “people who value specific aspects of cultural heritage which they wish, within the framework of public action, to sustain and transmit to future generations”(Art 2b). 

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Worth noting is that not all heritage communities or Indigenous Peoples are in the position to be recognised as such depending on current social and political circumstances. However, in keeping with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Indigenous Peoples have the right to self determination and are to be included in rights holders based on the alignment with both moral and human rights. 

Heritage Adapts! uses the terms “heritage sites” and “cultural practices” because these are the terms used in the UN Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) framework. The GGA’s Cultural Heritage Target (GGA Target 9g) calls for accelerating by 2030 the development of “adaptive strategies for preserving cultural practices and heritage sites.” Heritage Adapts! has sought to align with the GGA target where possible. While the UN had not clarified its definitions of these terms, it did provide clues as to their meanings when in November 2025 COP30 adopted indicators for measuring progress under Target 9g. The indicator text makes clear that the GGA “cultural heritage” target includes within its scope both cultural and natural heritage sites as well as movable heritage. The new indicators generally link the concept of “cultural practices” to the more legally established term “intangible cultural heritage.” 

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Distinctions drawn between “heritage site,” “cultural practice” and “intangible cultural heritage” are culturally contingent and complex and, in the view of many, problematic. Each of these dimensions is often present in any given heritage expression. In general, Heritage Adapts! views these terms not as establishing a binary, but rather as examples of a broad heritage continuum. Heritage Adapts! uses these terms primarily to collect data to measure progress under the GGA Cultural Heritage Target. Potential stewards are asked to select the best – or least bad – characterization (i.e., heritage site or cultural practice) for the heritage they are pledging to adapt.

For purposes of Heritage Adapts!, the term “heritage site” includes all heritage places (natural, cultural, mixed) as well as all other tangible cultural heritage, meaning assets that have some physical embodiment of cultural values. Stewards of any of the following are welcome to make a Heritage Adapts! Pledge: monuments, heritage cities, historic towns, buildings, archaeological sites, cultural landscapes, cultural objects (movable and immovable), documents and collections(see UNESCO WHC et al. 2013; ICOM 2014b). A heritage site can also include a steward of movable and documentary heritage, which include but are not limited to institutions such as archives, libraries, museums and other educational, cultural and research organizations (UNESCO. 2015). 

For purposes of Heritage Adapts!, the term “cultural practice” includes any and all elements of intangible cultural heritage as that term is defined by UNESCO. This generally includes traditional and Indigenous living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts. Much of traditional knowledge and Indigenous Knowledge is also articulated and expressed through cultural practices, as passed through generations, and should be treated as such. The wider framing of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and local knowledge systems are separate epistemological and ontological considerations larger than cultural practices. 

A Heritage Adapts! Pledge must relate to a specific heritage site or cultural practice but often multiple heritage elements are interconnected at different scales. Consider, for example, a rare books collection housed in a historic library building. Adaptation strategies and teams may differ as to these elements but they are also closely linked. Potential Stewards  are invited to make their pledge(s) in whatever manner works best for them and best reflects the adaptation strategies they will work to implement, noting that their Pledge form inputs will be shared with the public. For example, they may wish to make one pledge for all the heritage elements their organization stewards (e.g., “We pledge to implement a locally led climate adaptation action or adaptive strategy for the Town Library”) or separate pledges covering different heritage elements (e.g. one pledge for the “Town Library Rare Books Collection” and another for the “Town Library Historic Library Building”). Where separate pledges are made, the persons making the pledges may still name the overarching institution (i.e. “Town Library’) as the relevant group or may differentiate internal units/teams  (e.g., “Historic Town Library Building Adaptation Task Force,” “Town Library Rare Books Collection Team”). 

Those taking the Heritage Adapts! Pledge are asked to commit to implement a locally-led adaptation action or adaptive strategy for their heritage site or cultural practice – but what actions/strategies count? 

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The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines an adaptation strategy (or adaptation option) as an array of strategies and measures that are available and appropriate for addressing climate change adaptation. Adaptation refers to the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects, in order to moderate harm or exploit beneficial opportunities. Adaptive strategies can range widely depending on the specific context of a community, business, or region. They can be categorized as structural, institutional, ecological, or behavioral measures. 

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More specifically, for purposes of Heritage Adapts!, adaptive strategies include both “hard adaptation” measures like seawalls or water management systems and “soft adaptation” measures like improved building codes, early warning systems, wetlands restoration, community education, enhancing social networks, or knowledge sharing. Adaptation may be reactive, responding to impacts already experienced, or proactive, anticipating future risks. It may be incremental, adjusting existing systems, or transformational, reshaping governance, livelihoods, or spatial arrangements to create new climate-resilient and sustainable development pathways. Some strategies are designed for near-term climate conditions; others aim to remain effective under higher levels of global warming and over longer time horizons.

Importantly, adaptive strategies should consider equity and justice. Who participates in decisions? Who benefits? Who bears the costs? Are Indigenous, local, and traditional knowledge systems recognised and respected? Does the strategy support cultural continuity and intergenerational wellbeing?

So whether you are building a flood defence, reforming governance, educating communities about climate risks, restoring wetlands, reinforcing a historic structure, revitalising cultural practices, or mobilising local actors for action, your work counts as an adaptive strategy/adaptation action that fulfills your Heritage Adapts! Pledge.

Locally-led adaptation means that communities, custodians, Indigenous Peoples, cultural practitioners, and local institutions are not simply consulted, but hold real decision-making power over how adaptation actions are defined, prioritised, funded, implemented, monitored, and evaluated. It shifts authority to the people most affected by climate change, ensuring they can identify what matters most, define success on their own terms, shape the allocation of resources, and guide long-term strategies. In this way, adaptation is grounded in local values, lived experience, and plural knowledge systems, strengthening accountability, equity, and the durability and sustainability of climate actions over time.

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Locally-led adaptation will generally involve frameworks that reflect and respect the diverse values and needs of the people it serves. These actions validate and are informed by plural knowledge systems (including scientific knowledge, local knowledge, traditional practices and Indigenous Knowledge), developed through appropriate knowledge exchange and a thorough understanding of community and economic concerns. IPCC WGII found with high confidence in AR6 that “Inclusive planning initiatives informed by cultural values, Indigenous Knowledge, local knowledge, and scientific knowledge can help prevent maladaptation”. 

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For purposes of the Heritage Adapts! Pledge, locally-led climate adaptation strategies include those that define success in terms of meaningful and equitable engagement and leadership of relevant individuals and local communities in identifying and prioritizing heritage values, hazards, impacts and risks, and subsequent climate action.

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Heritage Adapts! emphasises locally-led adaptation (LLA) because LLA tends to lead to more effective, equitable, relevant, and sustainable outcomes. LLA enhances efficiency, strengthens local capacity, and promotes dignity by ensuring those most affected by climate change have agency, leading to better use of resources and stronger long-term resilience. The UN Global Goal on Adaptation, which the Heritage Adapts! Campaign supports, emphasises that adaptation action should be, as appropriate, “locally led and community-based.” LLA is considered particularly appropriate for culture and heritage as these phenomena are inherently people-centered.

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In support of the foregoing, each Heritage Adapts! Steward or their respective group/institution/organization is expected to pursue inclusive, locally led adaptation actions/adaptive strategies and to seek to actively and equitably engage with other relevant rights holders over the same heritage site or cultural practice (if any).

Yes! Heritage sites and cultural practices have disparate and diverse stakeholders and rights holders and, while it is ideal for these to work in concert to tackle climate change, this is not always possible. Some heritage sites cover vast areas and even cross national borders while many cultural practices (the Tango for example) are enjoyed by diverse user groups across the world. While the Heritage Adapts! Community is a great place for different actors to meet and coordinate, when and how to do that is up to the respective groups. For purposes of Heritge Adapts!, two or more different rights holders or stakeholder groups may each make a Pledge regarding the same or overlapping heritage sites or cultural practices. 

Yes. Multiple members of the same group, institution, or organization can participate in the Heritage Adapts! Community of Action. This allows all of the members of a group, institution, or organization’s adaptation team to go on the Heritage Adapts! journey together. In order to have full access to the Heritage Adapts! site, each team member must separately register for the site and make a Heritage Adapts! Pledge (meaning there would be multiple pledges for the same heritage site or cultural practice – don’t worry, duplicates will be removed in assessing progress towards the Campaign’s 3000 x 2030 goal).  During the pledge sign-up process, each person is asked to name the group they are working with (if applicable). Participants who wish to be recognized as members of the same team should be careful to spell their institution’s or group’s name identically so that they can easily be identified as members of that team. 

In general, Heritage Adapts! will not independently verify a Steward’s (i.e. pledge-makers) eligibility nor does listing with t Heritage Adapts! imply endorsement of the pledged work. Instead, Heritage Adapts!  relies on self-certification. This means that the individual making the Pledge takes responsibility for certifying compliance with these Heritage Adapts! Eligibility Guidelines, including, where relevant, that the individual is authorized to do so by an existing group of stakeholders or rights holders of the indicated heritage site or cultural practice. Anyone completing a Heritage Adapts! Pledge should conduct any needed assessment and obtain any needed authorization consistent with relevant governance prior to making the Pledge. Should it come to the attention of Heritage Adapts! that a pledge-maker did not or does not meet these Eligibility Guidelines or is not proceeding in line with their Pledge or their certification, the Campaign reserves the right to delist the Steward and any related Entity (i.e. cancel that Steward’s Pledge and participation in the Community of Action) or take other appropriate action. See “Delisting” below. 

By making a Heritage Adapts! Pledge, the person making the pledge is deemed to self-declare that they (and the Entity on whose behalf the pledge is made, if applicable): 

1. Do not appear on the United Nations Security Council Consolidated Sanctions List or the United Nations Vendor Ineligibility List, and is not in violation of UN sanctions, relevant conventions, treaties and resolutions;
2. Have not been convicted of any material crimes or offenses;
3. Have not been engaging in sexual exploitation and abuse;
4. Have not promoted or engaged in corrupt practices, including bribery and extortion. 

By making a Heritage Adapts! Pledge, the person making the pledge thereby certifies that the information provided is accurate, correct and complete and agrees to notify Heritage Adapts! of any material inaccuracies or changes in the information provided that may occur subsequent to their Pledge.

Stewards and Entities are encouraged to advertise their affiliation with Heritage Adapts! and may use the Heritage Adapts! logo for purposes consistent with the aims of Heritage Adapts! The “Use of the Heritage Adapts! Logo by Leadership Partners, Supporting Partners, Service Providers, and Stewards” policy governs how Stewards may use the Heritage Adapts! logo and name to publicly demonstrate their support for the campaign. It ensures consistent, accurate, and mission‑aligned representation of the campaign brand. By making the Heritage Adapts! Pledge, the person making the pledge acknowledges receipt of this Policy and agrees that they and the organization they represent (if applicable) will adhere to the Policy. 

In order to maintain the integrity and reputation of Heritage Adapts! and Heritage Adapts! Leadership Partners, Heritage Adapts! has developed criteria for immediate delisting of Stewards and Entities as a last resort measure. Delisted Stewards/Entities may be reflected on the Heritage Adapts! website and have all participation in Heritage Adapts! and any formal relationships with Heritage Adapts! terminated and will not be allowed to use the Heritage Adapts! name and logo, even if permission had been granted prior to their delistingl.

Reasons for delisting include:

• Failure to adhere to the Policy on the Use of the Heritage Adapts! Logo by Leadership Partners, Supporting Partners, Service Providers, and Stewards including misuse of the Heritage Adapts! name or logo or unauthorized use of the Preserving Legacies name or logo or the name or logo of any Heritage Adapts! Leadership Partner;
• Failure to continue to proceed in line with their Pledge or the accompanying certifications;
• A finding of guilt in a court of law; 
• Suspension or removal from the UN Vendors List, with UN Vendors being registered with the UN Global Marketplace;
• Learning after a Steward or Entity is accepted that the Steward/Entity provided false or misleading information in the pledge process;
• Failure to engage in dialogue and/or respond to questions by the Heritage Adapts! Secretariat related to any of these grounds for delisting within a one-month deadline will lead to delisting with immediate effect;
• In addition, Heritage Adapts! may delist Stewards/Entities for any other reason, in its sole discretion.

Any Steward or Entity may request to be delisted for any reason, with Heritage Adapts! honouring this request, as soon as possible.