In the preparation of topics for the partnership’s transnational calls for proposals and additional activities, due attention should be paid to the gender dimension and the intersectionality of grounds for potential discrimination such as disability, age, socio-economic status, racial or ethnic origin, nationality, sexual orientation, etc., in order to be in line with EU anti-discrimination policy and to achieve meaningful and significant outcomes that enhance the societal impact of the relevant activities. The advice of gender experts should be taken into account in developing mitigation and adaptation measures at the nexus of cultural heritage and climate change, in examining the functions of cultural heritage and related societal values, and in supporting sustainable development.

Taking all aforementioned priorities and references into account, the partnership should aim to:

• Build capacity by fostering fundamental and applied interdisciplinary collaborative research (SSH and STEAM) between the cultural heritage and climate research communities.
• Provide resources and incentives to conduct holistic research and nurture collaborative actions to drive the transformation towards more sustainable development, just futures and a healthier way of life and overall well-being.
• Create and disseminate new knowledge, techniques, skills, strategies and materials for sustainable preservation, conservation, and management of climate-related risks in the cultural heritage field as well as other man-made related risks.
• Promote innovations in industries and to provide scaled-up solutions and applications for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
• Develop a coherent methodology for obtaining reliable information, quantitative and qualitative data on cultural heritage and climate change, as well as on the costs and benefits of adaptation measures, with particular emphasis on processes and life cycles related to the circular economy.
• Improve long-term monitoring of cultural heritage through the use of innovative technologies and risk management models to document, inventory and predict the negative and positive impacts of climate change on and through cultural heritage.
• Integrate cultural heritage into mainstream climate change and environmental regulations, policies and adaptation strategies by operationalising heritage-based solutions and knowledge of the past.
• Provide policy recommendations to enhance social cohesion and the European sense of belonging through cultural heritage in communities and societies impacted by climate change.
• Encourage the continued conservation and preservation (through maintenance) by involving, educating and facilitating community participation, with a special focus on sustainability and a quality approach.
• Increase collaboration across countries and regions and to move away from a focus on individual geopolitical regions to overcome the fragmentation of the wide landscape of stakeholders, competences, resources, policies, programmes and initiatives.

The partnership is open to all EU Member States and countries associated to Horizon Europe and will remain open to third countries wishing to join. Partners are expected to contribute financially and/or in kind, depending on the level of ambition of the proposed activities. The partnership should be open to new partners throughout its lifetime. Important note: the EU contribution will not be increased accordingly.

The total indicative budget for the partnership is up to €60.00 million and subject to the effective implementation of the financial commitments made by the members of the consortium.

The expected duration of the partnership is seven to ten years.