Cultural Heritage Takes Centre Stage at COP31 as ICOMOS Opens Six-Day Conference in Antalya

Antalya, Türkiye — Cultural heritage has taken centre stage at COP31 in Antalya, as the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) opened a six-day conference series on Wednesday, 11 November, arguing that historic places — and the knowledge they carry — are a vital part of climate action.

The series, titled “Cultural Heritage in Climate Action”, runs until 16 November alongside the COP31 climate talks and puts COP31 cultural heritage at the heart of the conference. It is led by ICOMOS Türkiye and the ICOMOS Climate Action Working Group, working with ICOMOS international scientific committees, working groups and national committees, and in partnership with Antalya Bilim University.

The conference opens on the third day of COP31, as world leaders begin two days of national statements at the COP31 Leaders’ Summit, and as the conference works through its programme of twelve thematic days.

Six days of heritage and climate across Antalya

The programme opened at 10:00 on Wednesday at Antalya Bilim University, with sessions also held at the Chamber of Architects Antalya Branch, Antalya City Council and Koç University AKMED. A field programme takes participants to the ancient sites of Lyrbe and Side on 13 November, the closing session is held on Sunday, 15 November at 17:30, and the series ends with a field trip to the ancient city of Termessos on Monday, 16 November, where excavations are supported by Antalya Bilim University.

Most sessions are in English, the morning session on 15 November is in Turkish, and some sessions are available in hybrid format and livestreamed. Registration is required, and places on the Termessos field trip are limited, with separate registration.

Opening day: heritage in global policy

The opening session was moderated by Esra Balcı of the ICOMOS Climate Action Working Group and ICOMOS Türkiye. Speakers included Gráinne Shaffrey, president of ICOMOS, by video; Prof. Hülya Şimga, vice rector of Antalya Bilim University; Prof. A. Esin Kuleli, dean of the university’s Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture; Umut Almaç, president of ICOMOS Türkiye; Merve Güreş of Türkiye’s Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change; and Neil Khor, adviser to the Climate High-Level Champion.

At 11:00, the session “Global Policies and Coalitions in Climate Action” opened with a keynote by Dana Firas, vice president of ICOMOS and of the Climate Heritage Network. Ave Paulus spoke on cultural heritage in UNFCCC processes, Andrew Potts presented the Heritage Adapts! campaign, Rohit Jigyasu of ICOMOS India addressed heritage in climate emergencies, and Lori Ferris of Heritage Now! spoke on decarbonising the built environment through heritage. The afternoon continued with ICOMOS climate action within its triennial plan at 13:30 and a partnerships session at 15:30.

COP31 cultural heritage as adaptation, not only as something to protect

The programme frames cultural heritage not only as something to be protected from the impacts of climate change, but as a valuable source of knowledge and experience for adaptation, resilience and sustainable solutions.

Across the six days, sessions address cultural landscapes, climate resilience in the built environment, archaeological sites, modern architectural heritage, traditional water management, nomadism, local knowledge systems and climate justice. The programme also looks at Antalya’s own cultural heritage and local experiences, the environmental impacts of mining, energy and transport policies, and rural resilience.

“At COP31 ICOMOS, with its partners, affirms the essential role of cultural heritage in effective, responsible and just climate action,” said Gráinne Shaffrey, president of ICOMOS. “It is time for all governments to integrate and implement cultural heritage in their national adaptation plans.”

Culture across the COP31 programme

The conference is part of a wider culture programme at COP31. On Wednesday, 11 November, the Climate Mobility Pavilion in the Blue Zone hosts “Preserving Culture & Heritage: An Inter-Generational Dialogue between Leaders and Youth” from 12:45 to 14:15, organised by the Global Centre for Climate Mobility and the UNESCO Youth Climate Action Network.

On Wednesday, 18 November, the Heritage Adapts! event runs from 14:30 to 15:30 in Special Event Room 4 (Perge) in the Blue Zone, as part of the COP31 Global Climate Action programme, showing how the cultural heritage target of the Global Goal on Adaptation is being turned into locally led implementation around the world.

Coastal and underwater cultural heritage also feature at COP31. On 13 November, a panel in the Blue Zone explores the impacts of climate change on coastal and underwater heritage, organised by Akdeniz University’s Underwater Archaeology Research Center and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, with support from the UNESCO Turkish National Commission. The UNESCO Underwater Archaeology Network hosts a booth in the Green Zone from 10 to 17 November, and a photography exhibition documenting underwater excavations along Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast opens at Antalya Airport on 13 November.

The Culture at COP31 platform, which coordinates the culture, arts and heritage sector’s participation at the conference, brings together more than 250 organisations across six continents, and an ICOMOS-led coalition of 15 organisations has applied for exhibition space across the full COP period.

As COP31 moves from its opening days into the negotiations, the heritage programme’s message is that the past has practical lessons for the climate future — and that those lessons belong in the plans governments adopt in Antalya.

Frequently asked questions

What is the ICOMOS conference at COP31?

It is a six-day series of events titled “Cultural Heritage in Climate Action”, held in Antalya from 11 to 16 November 2026 as part of COP31, led by ICOMOS Türkiye and the ICOMOS Climate Action Working Group with Antalya Bilim University.

Where is the conference held?

Sessions take place at Antalya Bilim University and at venues across Antalya, including the Chamber of Architects Antalya Branch, Antalya City Council and Koç University AKMED. Some sessions are hybrid and livestreamed, and a field programme visits Lyrbe and Side on 13 November.

Why does cultural heritage matter for climate action?

Heritage sites are themselves at risk from climate change, and they also carry knowledge — from traditional water management to local building practices — that can strengthen adaptation. ICOMOS is calling on all governments to integrate cultural heritage into their national adaptation plans.

What is Heritage Adapts!?

Heritage Adapts! is a campaign and programme of Plans to Accelerate Solutions that turns the cultural heritage target of the Global Goal on Adaptation into locally led implementation. Its COP31 event takes place on 18 November from 14:30 to 15:30 in Special Event Room 4 (Perge) in the Blue Zone.

Can the public attend the conference?

Registration is required through the organisers’ participation form, with participants selecting the days and sessions they wish to attend. Some sessions are livestreamed, and the closing field trip to the ancient city of Termessos on 16 November has limited places and separate registration.