Climate Action Community Work Plan

The Europeana Climate Action Community Steering Group

The Climate Action Community Steering Group is composed of a Rotating chair, a Community manager and other members with a diverse range of expertise:

• Corinne Szteinsznaider, Coordinator Michael Culture/MUSEU-HUB

• Marco Fiore, Policy and project officer, Michael Culture/MUSEU-HUB

• Evangelia Paschalidou, Researcher/ Museums for Future, PhD candidate

• Flavia Bruni, ICCU, Italy, ENA Members Council

• Helen Vincent, Head of Rare Books, Maps and Music Collections National Library of Scotland

• Jostina Dhimitri, Professor University of Tirana

• Matias Katajavaara Seidler, Partner & European Projects Lead, Khora Virtual Reality

• Nelson Brito, Researcher University of Coimbra

• Randi Cecchine, Student/ Documentary Filmmaker University of Amsterdam

• Killian Downing, Archivist, Dublin City University

• Lorena Aldana, Head of External Relations and Advocacy, Europeana Foundation - Community Manager

Community aspiration

The Europeana Climate Action Community seeks to drive impactful, cooperative and sustainable action to address the climate emergency within the digital cultural heritage sector, in particular when it comes to its digital transformation. It aims to raise awareness of, mitigate and build capacity around lessening our sector’s environmental impact.

We aim for wider systemic change within our organisations and networks, while building on the Europeana Climate Action Manifesto. We believe it’s crucial to act now to find new ways to work without compromising our environment. We believe with the right support, guidance, engagement and collaboration we can turn our climate action aspirations into reality. As agents of change, we want to promote and enable sustainable change in the Europeana ecosystem, the data space and the digital heritage sector.

As the Europeana Initiative develops the common European data space for cultural heritage, we aim to help shape the data space as a place for shared sustainability and cooperation towards a greener, more sustainable digital transformation of the cultural heritage sector. Moreover, we believe the data space provides a unique opportunity for the Europeana Initiative to lead with example in addressing the digital, environmental and social transformation of our sector (‘Triple transformation’) in a concerted way.

We are driven by our:

• Vision - The climate crisis urges us to work together as a global community to protect our planet. We work collectively towards a climate conscious digital heritage sector.

• Mission - Advocating for and embedding working practices that minimise the digital cultural heritage sector’s impact on the climate and environment; support adaptation and resilience; and, help to make the right choices.

• Strategy - Planning, collaborating, operating, advocating for digital sobriety and sufficiency.

Activities in three focus areas

In 2024-2025, the Community will lead to implement three sets of activities listed below. All Community members are invited to actively participate in these activities. We will collaborate with other Europeana communities, the Europeana Network Association, the Europeana Foundation and the Europeana Aggregators’ Forum to deliver on these goals. We will also seek collaboration with other actors who, as our Community, are committed to positive climate action through digital cultural heritage.

1) Improved governance, engagement and sustainability of our Community

In 2024, we plan to review our governance structure and operating models to increase our impact, relevance, and reach. We will rethink the way we engage at Community level, through dialogue with our members, and with other Europeana communities, the whole Europeana ecosystem and beyond.

In 2024, we will:

• Assess the current state of our Community and Steering Group, in terms of numbers and level of engagement by members.

• Seek to enlarge the Community membership by developing and implementing an effective engagement strategy, aiming for at least 10% increase in membership by year-end.

• Explore, set-up new (if needed) and/or activate communication channels bringing together the entire Community membership, aiming for an increased and sustained engagement as well as periodic and systematic interaction.

• Increase number and representation in the Community Steering Group. We will identify expertise areas and profiles that would enrich the work of the Steering Group (and of the whole Community), and will seek to recruit new members on this basis. By the end of the year, we aim at enlarging the Steering Group to 10-13 active and diverse members. We also intend to recruit new Steering Group members who will represent us on the Members’ Council.

• Revise the operation and structure of the Steering Group, including by implementing a rotating Chair and Co-chair system (six month period, with possibility of renewal). The first Rotating Chair of 2024 (January - July period) is Marco Fiore, Policy and Project officer at Michael Culture/MUSEU-HUB.

• Revitalise the Steering Group by allocating specific tasks or broader themes to members, empowering them to take the lead in areas where they have capacity and expertise, and with the support of the Rotating Chair, co-Chair and Community manager. In addition, one physical Steering Group meeting will be planned in 2024.

• Set-up a regular meeting schedule for the Steering Group and the whole Community membership to exchange information, network, and ultimately increase a feeling of connection and belonging to the community.

• Liaise with other Europeana Communities to identify good governance practices.

Outcomes and timeline:

• Assessment of current state of Community and Steering Group - February - March 2024

• Meeting with other Communities Chairs - February - March 2024

• Strategy for enlargement and revitalisation of Community - delivered by March 2024, implemented in March- onwards

• Restructuring of Steering Group and its functioning - delivered by March 2024, implemented in March- onwards.

• Physical Steering Group meeting in October 2024.

2) Needs analysis: Digital Information Management Survey led by the Environmental Sustainability Practice Task Force

In July 2023, the Environmental Sustainability Practice Task Force launched a survey on data management and digital preservation, in view of the lack of a Europe-wide overview on how cultural heritage institutions and professionals plan for both a green and digital transformation. In 2023 the Community started analysing the results.

In 2024, the TF in collaboration with the Steering Group, data professionals from Europeana Initiative, and with the support of a data analysis professional will build on this work, scale it up and disseminate widely. We will work towards the uptake of the main learnings of this research in the Europeana ecosystem and beyond, hoping to create a Sustainable Practice Community in our sector.

The survey results will be used to support evidence-based advocacy work calling for working practices that minimise the digital cultural heritage sector’s impact on the environment. In the uptake phase, the survey could support the establishment of a community of practice, a common vocabulary; clustering of mapping tools and performance indicators, and a compilation and comparison of climate action institutional manifestos to develop a gestalt overview of the sector. Finally, we will also reflect on the data gathering methods and efficacy of the targeted data extraction process and build on these learnings for future work.

The mandate of the Environmental Sustainability Practice Task Force within the Climate Action Community has been extended for one year (until December 2024) in order to be able to deliver on this work. We will also revise its working mechanisms to ensure its efficiency and impact.

In 2023-2024, the Task Force and the Steering Group will:

• Finalise the analysis of the data acquired through the survey and the full report of findings.

• Prepare a five-page interim report to be shared with the whole community.

• Elaborate policy recommendations for professionals and insights for policy makers, which will be then socialised and disseminated in different occasions for advocacy purposes (e.g. Europeana Conference and related events).

• Design and undertake two dedicated workshops to discuss the results of the report: the first one will aim at creating a Community of practice (composed of Ambassadors) to take up the learnings of the survey, while the second will explore which practises they have adopted, what have they learned, and share their experience.

• Assess the need for follow-up of this work, in line with the needs of the sector

Outcomes and timeline:

• Interim Sustainability TF Survey Report delivered - March 2024

• Full Sustainability TF Survey Report - May 2024

• Policy recommendations - May 2024

• Survey Workshop 1 - October 2024 (onsite) on the occasion of the Europeana Conference and the second European Heritage Hub Forum

• Survey Workshop 2 - December 2024 (online)

3) Amplifying our work: advocacy vis-a-vis the Europeana ecosystem and the sector at large

This focus area aims to amplify the work of our Community through advocacy efforts in the Europeana ecosystem and the data space, but also within the broader (digital) heritage sector. We seek to establish our Community as a relevant and trusted advocacy actor for all matters related to climate action and digital heritage. To do this, we will foster collaboration, raise awareness, and disseminate knowledge on the intersection of digital cultural heritage and environmental sustainability, and advocate for climate-conscious practices within the Europeana Network, the data space ecosystem and our sector. To achieve this, we will leverage on existing partnerships, notably with the Climate Heritage Network (of which the Europeana Network Association is a member) and the European Heritage Hub project (of which the Europeana Foundation is a partner).

In 2024, we will:

• Promote climate action in the digital heritage sector and ensure alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals. We will use the results of the research in action 2; and in particular the policy recommendations for professionals and insights for policy makers to support evidence-based advocacy work.

• Increase understanding and raise awareness of the climate implications of digitisation; in particular of 3D notably in the European Commission Recommendation of 2021 on a common European data space for cultural heritage, which encourages Member States to considerably increase the number of 3D digital assets in the data space. We will use the momentum created by the Twin it! 3D for Europe’s culture campaign to advance these efforts. We will also work towards a better understanding of the climate implications of AI and other advanced technologies in the digital heritage sector.

• Highlight the contribution of the digital cultural heritage sector to positive climate action, showcasing its role in advancing Europe's triple transformation (social, digital, environmental). Until now, our community has focused mostly on the intersection between the digital and environmental realms. We will further explore the links to social issues and the contribution of cultural heritage to Energy Poverty mitigation, among other relevant topics towards a just green transition. We will cooperate with Europeana Foundation and its Green Team to exchange good practices and foster mutual learning.

• Undertake editorial efforts in Europeana Pro and europeana.eu to curate exhibitions and publish blogs which convey our vision, mission and actions. We will encourage participation, inviting community members and the broader Europeana Network to share climate actions in the digital heritage realm, results of academic research, and relevant projects through storytelling. We will focus, in particular, on the contribution of the digital cultural heritage sector to Europe's triple transformation (social, digital, environmental), and in particular on the social dimension of this work (e.g. issues like energy poverty and social exclusion) which has been largely under explored until now.

• We will publish a minimum of four blogs or galleries per year which will be published on relevant dates and milestones according to our 2024 editorial calendar.

• Disseminate capacity building and advocacy resources (e.g. surveys, reports, workshops, databases, project results, statements) on the intersection between digital cultural heritage and climate, and mobilise the Europeana Initiative coordinated programme of Country Group activities for broader dissemination.

• Encourage collaboration and synergies around climate action with other Europeana Communities, by organising two online intra-community peer-learning workshops. In particular, we see potential for meaningful collaboration with the EuropeanaTech community (e.g. around the climate implications of 3D and new technologies), and the Impact and Communicators communities. These efforts will culminate in a report published on Europeana Pro.

• Continue close cooperation with the EU-funded European Heritage Hub project (of which the Europeana Foundation is a partner) to exchange good practices, amplify the advocacy efforts of our Community and disseminate the outcomes of our work, including the Research in action 2. In particular, we will use this cooperation to advance our work with regard to the Triple Transformation of our sector (digital, social, environmental). We will also make sure members of our Community and Steering Group are actively involved in the European Heritage Hub Community of Practice and give proper visibility to digital heritage issues; ensure regular updates between the Hub and our Steering Group; ensure members of our Community and Steering Group are involved as speakers or participants in Hub events and capacity building sessions; and that our policy and advocacy priorities are duly reflected in the European Heritage Policies Monitor.

Outcomes and timeline:

• Listing of relevant dates and milestones for Climate Action - March 2024

• 2024 Editorial calendar planning a minimum of four blogs or galleries per year - March 2024

• Dissemination of Policy recommendations for evidence-based advocacy work - from May 2024 onwards

• First intra-community peer-learning workshop - June 2024

• Active participation in the second European Heritage Hub Forum organised by the Europeana Foundation - October 2024

• Second intra-community peer-learning workshop - November 2024

Timeline

Budget

Budget required 4,000 EUR for:

• 1, 500 EUR to hire an external data analysis professional to support the work of the Environmental Sustainability Task Force under action 2 (analysing the results of the survey, supporting data visualisation, preparing a full report).

• 2, 000 EUR for the organisation of an onsite Survey Workshop in October 2024, on the occasion of the Europeana Conference 2024 and the second European Heritage Hub Forum and the organisation of a physical Steering Group meeting back-to-back to the Survey Workshop in October 2024.

• Remaining budget (500 EUR) for contingency.

Explore the Climate Action Community's Work Plans from previous years.