Climate change is one of the most significant and fastest growing threats to people and their cultural heritage worldwide. Scientific evidence shows unequivocally that increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, driven by human activities such as burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, are accelerating climate change and its impacts, including sea level rise and coastal flooding, drought and extreme heat, and increased frequency and intensity of severe weather events. Cotswold Archaeology wants to play our part in efforts to tackle the climate change emergency.

We are acutely aware as an employer of professional archaeologists that the study of past societies teaches us about human impact on the environment and the consequences of change over millennia. This matters just as much today as it did in the past and we are committed to initiatives that advance environmental, economic, and social sustainability for current and future generations. We endorse a sustainable approach to our cultural heritage and utilise our professional expertise to balance the preservation of the most important aspects of our heritage with society’s current and future needs. We therefore want to mobilise the talents of our staff to support initiatives to combat climate change and strengthen the adaptive capacity of our communities.

We are pleased to announce that Cotswold Archaeology is now a member of the Climate Heritage Network so that we can work collaboratively with our peers and relevant stakeholders to help develop, implement and enhance the climate action agenda in the heritage sector.

Chief Executive Neil Holbrook said, “The opportunities for a charity such as Cotswold Archaeology to make a tangible impact on the massive global issue of climate change are relatively limited, although every little helps and we can certainly improve the environmental sustainability of our operations. That is a major objective for us in 2022. We also want to promote a climate change agenda in the heritage sector, but our voice will be heard much better if we work collaboratively with other organisations in our sector. That’s why we have joined the Climate Heritage Network, a global network whose members are committed to mobilising arts, culture and heritage to address climate change issues. We want to learn from best practice, both in Britain and around the world, and share our thoughts and experiences in return. Climate change is a global issue and we are proud to be part of this global network”.

Cotswold Archaeology has just adopted its first formal Sustainability Policy and accompanying Action Plan. We will be sharing more on what we hope to achieve in the coming weeks and months.