Guidelines for the installation of renewable energies on cultural heritage sites
Due to the current climate emergency context, it is urgent to install renewable energy infrastructures in our territories. Its deployment in a disorderly way can generate adverse effects on the social, cultural or landscape values of regions and cities. The document presents an impact evaluation methodology, so decision makers may move towards the much-desired compatibility between the installation of renewables and the conservation of the values of our cultural heritage
National
Spain
The document was drafted collaboratively with heritage managers from nine regions (Castilla La Mancha, Castilla y León, Asturias, Catalunya, Valencia, Aragón and Madrid) and a representative from the Ministry of Culture.
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
No
No
Yes
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): ICOMOS Spain Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Camino Last name of representative: Enriquez Gender: Female Nationality: Spain Function: Executive Secretary Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Calle Alenza 4. 8º Town: Madrid Postal code: 28003 Country: Spain Direct Tel:+34 915 36 12 08 E-mail:secretaria@icomos.es Website:https://icomos.es
The effects of the climate emergency are already visible to society and the decarbonization of the planet has become a global urgent matter. Therefore, it is necessary to set renewable energy infrastructures, which in Spain are mainly wind turbines and solar panels, over large areas of our territories and cities. There is no doubt that these facilities will help reduce the CO2 emissions that are causing global warming and that pose a risk to the conservation of our cultural heritage, but we must not ignore their impact if they are not carried out in an orderly manner. The beauty of our monuments and historic centers and the quality of the experience of visiting our landscapes can be altered by a disregarded installation of these infrastructures. Additionally, these facilities have generated impacts on local communities such as depopulation, the disappearance of crops or traditional techniques, local businesses or the transfer of small land holders to large corporations.
Written collaboratively through a collaboration with heritage managers from nine regions and the Ministry of Culture, the Guidelines offer a methodology for assessing heritage impact, intend to create social awareness, identify all the stakeholders involved and set a reference framework for the further development of regional regulations.
Finally, the Guidelines offer recommendations on minimizing the impact of these infrastructures, with the aim of preserving the aesthetic, cultural, social and economic values of our urban centers and landscapes, seeking the inclusion of all of society and leaving no one behind.
So far, the document has had a very important impact. Published in November 2022, it has appeared in numerous media nationwide, and more than 2.400 downloads and online consultations have been made.
Decarbonization
Landscapes
Sustainability
Inclusion
Conservation
Sustainability is about protecting the planet and those who inhabit it, curbing climate change and promoting social development without putting life on Earth at risk, leaving no one behind.
Climate urgency forces us to act quickly by installing green energies, but we must not forget that culture and heritage are fundamental levers for decarbonization.
If by installing renewable infrastructures we cancel the heritage values of our landscapes and cities, create depopulation, eliminate local businesses or stop cultivating in the traditional way, we may be able to reduce CO2 emissions, but we will certainly cancel other fundamental sustainability strategies.
Heritage is much more than just monuments or landscapes, tangible or intangible, it is an evolving resource that supports identity, memory and the sense of belonging. It also enables social cohesion, fosters socio economic regeneration and poverty reduction, strengthens social well-being, improves the appeal and creativity of regions and enhances long-term tourism benefits. We must take up the challenge of conserving this fragile resource for the current and future generations.
The SDGs emphatically identify culture as the axis of sustainable development.
Target 11.4 highlights the need to ‘strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage’.
Goal 8, to 'promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all', 12 to 'ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns', also 8.9 and 12.b refer to 'policies to promote sustainable tourism, including through local culture and products'.
As a conclusion, the Guide has become a relevant tool for policy makers and offers answers to the inclusion of renewable energies in cities and landscapes, with the intention of maintaining the fragile balance with local communities, reconnecting with nature, recovering the sense of belonging and prioritizing the least represented.
The aesthetic impact of renewable energy installations on our historic cities and landscapes is beyond doubt. If we do not take into account when planning its installation the cultural and landscape values of our territories, the visitor's experience will be seriously altered. The installation of solar panels on monuments or historical buildings alters their geometry, texture and color, modifying their vision and perception. Considering that the installation of renewable energies is urgent and that access to these cannot be denied to anyone, the guide presents an impact methodology for the evaluation of heritage, aesthetic and landscape values, proposing alternatives that minimize or eliminate the effects, preserving the integrity of heritage assets
Culture and heritage are levers for territorial and social cohesion. The European Union has developed policies to support culture and social cohesion, highlighting the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (2008), the Platform for an Intercultural Europe (2008-2013) or the new European Agenda for Culture in 2018.
The installation of renewable infrastructures can generate tensions in social structures, especially in the rural areas where they are usually established. It has been observed how the construction of these facilities, normally associated with large economic investments, does not generate jobs in the local community. The jobs created both for its installation and maintenance are scarce, leaving very few benefits on the territory, which does not generate a work of redistribution of wealth; the millionaire profits return to the big corporations, generally located in the big cities.
The purchase or rental of large pieces of land by multinational companies is creating a transfer of property titles from small owners to companies. This indirectly affects the local economy, with the extinction of small businesses related to agriculture, livestock or tourism, posing a threat to job creation, economic sustainability and inclusion of all social classes.
The Guidelines describe income redistribution proposals to ensure that no one is left behind and take advantage of large investments so that the territory where these structures are installed is favored, creating employment and as a strategy to fight depopulation.
Recent studies published by the Central Bank of Spain assessing this issue confirm this
This initiative focuses on people, on citizens who live in rural or unpopulated areas and who are the ones who are affected by the installation of infrastructures. It is about part of the investments and jobs generated by these million-dollar facilities staying in the territory, seeking the greatest possible social and economic impact. It is about protecting the beauty of the landscapes, the feeling of belonging to the site, traditional trades, customs, etc.
It is about avoiding depopulation and seizing the opportunity to bring life back to rural areas.
ICOMOS-Spain (the Spanish National Committee of the International Council of Monuments and Sites), a civil society association of voluntary specialists and experts in the management and sustainable protection of cultural heritage, has led the initiative. The impact that this document has already had on public entities and policy makers is considered a great success, given that inclusive, transformative and fair climate action strategies are currently a priority for the organization.
The collaborative methodology that has been employed for the elaboration of the Guidelines is considered a relevant example of how collaboration between civil society and public administrations can help to face the current challenges in heritage conservation while taking into account the objectives and needs of all the stakeholders involved.
More than thirty people participated in the drafting of the document. The participants represent professionals with long experience in the management of cultural heritage and technicians from the national, regional and local governments, giving an overview of the impact that the installation of these infrastructures represents in the Spanish geography.
This work methodology has made it possible to share different case studies, risks, threats and possible solutions. As the management of the authorization of these infrastructures is a regional competence, it has allowed to create awareness at a regional level and open the public debate towards the modification of the current regulations.
At the national level, and as a result of this document, the Ministry of Culture has created a working group with all the regions for the study and analysis of the heritage protection regulations and their possible modification and to maintain dialogue with other Ministries involved, such as the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
The document has been shared with other cultural associations and has been disseminated in the media.
The impact of renewable energies on cultural heritage is an increasingly evident matter and on which there is not much technical bibliography due to the rapidity in the development of these technologies and their implementation. The installation of wind turbines and solar panels affects the planning of the territory on a large scale, as well as on the cultural landscape and historic cities. Also, in listed buildings and monuments, the installation of photovoltaic panels can have an impact on heritage values and aesthetic configuration. And not only the aesthetic or historical values can be altered by the installation of these infrastructures, but depopulation, changes in the local economy or migratory movements are possible irreversible consequences with an impact on our cultural heritage.
Thus, a multidisciplinary approach is necessary, in which historians, architects, landscapers, conservators, archaeologists, lawyers and economists have to intervene collaboratively. Each of them need to analyze the situation from their point of view, giving their vision and perspective.
The result is a document that analyzes the situation from an interdisciplinary perspective and that proposes an action framework for adapted implementation in each region of Spain, allowing the methodology to be exported to other countries.
The legal framework for evaluating the impact of renewable energy facilities in Spain is limited to their environmental condition. The analysis of the impact on the historical, landscape or aesthetic values of landscapes or historic cities is relegated to a minor section in these documents and do not establish a specific methodology, which makes it extremely difficult for developers, project editors and the company itself to interpret and for the administrations to authorize it.
To help them making informed decisions based on the most possible objective criteria, we propose a methodology which is still not expressly included in Spanish legislation, but which may be of great interest in these cases and which is perfectly applicable in these contexts: the Heritage Impact Assessment. (hereinafter, HIA).
Although they are still very unknown in the Spanish context, HIAs are documents written by specialized professionals in cultural or natural heritage that assess the possible impact that projects or infrastructures may have on the authenticity, integrity or management of heritage sites.
The HIAs are an opportunity to achieve a sustainable development compatible with the protection and conservation of the cultural heritage, identifying the values of the site, analyzing possible risks and impacts derived from the proposed infrastructure, but also proposing and analyzing a range of possible alternatives assessing their potential. impact. HIAs promote and encourage the effective, inclusive, and equitable participation of all stakeholders, including local communities.
The Guidelines propose to include this innovative methodology in the impact measurement strategies, in such a way that the effects on heritage and culture are evaluated and, where appropriate, mitigated in the best possible way.
The global decarbonization policy is based on the replacement of energies based on fossil fuels with renewable energies, basically coming from the sun and the wind. Therefore, the conditions for the installation of these infrastructures on the landscapes or historical cities becomes a public concern that must be addressed globally.
The Guidelines offer an impact analysis and methodology that can be used in any region, landscape or historic city. The general analysis framework is versatile, and this means that other countries can be beneficiaries of this document. The Heritage Impact Assessment methodology described in the Guidelines is valid in any territory and for stakeholders from all countries.
An important fact to be highlighted is that the document has already aroused so much interest nationally and internationally. We are sharing the document and experiences with Europe and Latin America, and we plan to create a common European document in the near future.
The methodology followed to prepare this Guide has been fundamentally collaborative. ICOMOS-Spain launched a call to all stakeholders in the country related to culture, heritage, and climate change. More than thirty people representing professionals and public administrations from almost the entire Spanish geography signed up to the working group, which helped to understand the particularities of each region and its casuistry. We started designing a collaborative risk matrix on which different case studies were identified and allowed us to assess the impact based on the type of energy installed, the heritage typologies and its geographical location. The meetings were held every two weeks with all the members of the group, from the month of March to the end of July 2022. This methodology made it possible to form a very fruitful reflection and debate group. An international evaluation was also carried out, as the group analyzed how this issue was being dealt with in neighboring European countries thanks to the fluid relations between our organization and its counterparts, reaching the conclusion that it is an issue that Europe must address in a coordinated manner.
The Spanish regulations on the installation of renewable energies and climate change prepared by the Ministry of Ecological Transition were analyzed, identifying the low weight of the impact assessments of these infrastructures on heritage, included in the mandatory environmental impact reports necessary for the approval of these infrastructures.
Meetings and presentations were also held before members of the Ministry of Culture.
It was considered interesting to analyze four European (not Spanish) case studies that served as an example for the readers and users of the document.
Finally, capturing the reflections and analysis of five months of work, the collaborative text was drafted and presented in November 2022.
Finding a way to balance the implementation of renewable energy facilities and protect our cultural and natural heritage is a planetary challenge.
The current global economic and energetic crisis has led to a rapid development of hundreds of photovoltaic and wind energy plants and technologies which have an actual impact on our heritage.
Including a more thorough heritage-based approach in the environmental assessment would take into account tangible and intangible cultural aspects that would certainly improve the effects on our territories.
Our landscapes are the results of centennial layering processes and the inclusion of clean energies and their infrastructures will soon become part of them. However, this must not mean the end of traditions, agricultural techniques or the impact on heritage sites.
Taking our culture into account is building a more solid and brighter future for our territories.
The Guide was presented last November to more than 200 people at the ICOMOS Scientific Symposium held in Cartagena, Spain. There, before the media, the social, economic and cultural impact of renewables on landscapes and historic cities was warned and the analysis and methodology was presented.
In parallel, the document was communicated to the rest of the European colleagues, as well as the publication of the Guide both on the ICOMOS Spain website and on the ICOMOS international website with more than 2000 consultations and downloads.
Heritage management technicians from the Region and Town Halls have contacted ICOMOS to consult and thank the publication of the Guidelines.
Interviews were carried out in the press and on the radio to disseminate the potential risks that a massive implementation of these installations may have on the country's cultural heritage, as well as the opportunity it represents for the repopulation of rural areas and their economic recovery.
As a consequence of the drafting of the Guidelines, the Ministry of Culture created a working group with representatives from all regions to address this issue and propose legislative initiatives.
We want the initiative to become European, proposing a Guide to Good Practices for the Installation of Renewable Energies in Cultural Heritage at a European level
The European competence framework on sustainability was published in January 2022. This framework defines the four competence groups related to sustainability and each competence has three sub-parts.
The first competence is embodying sustainability values, including valuing sustainability, supporting fairness and promoting nature.
The Guidelines creates awareness, identifies risks and shares a specialized methodology for heritage impact assessment and its mitigation with the aim to protect and put in value cultural landscapes and nature, the beauty of historical cities, local communities and rural areas.
Second competence of the framework is embracing complexity in sustainability, including systems thinking, critical thinking and problem framing.
The methodology of the Guide, including collaborative multidisciplinary work, identification of risks and problems, stakeholder consultation and complex problem solving embraces critical thinking. Beyond the installation of renewable facilities, that society welcomes, identifies potential socio economic problems in the short and medium term, al via critical thinking and problem framing.
Third competence is Acting for sustainability, including political agency, collective action, and individual initiative.
The guide, promoted by our NGO, is a call to action, climate activism to fight against rising temperatures and its disastrous consequences. Promotes the creation of awareness of the protection of our heritage and our belonging to the place, shared with other organizations for the protection and defense of culture.
Finally, the fourth competence is Envisioning sustainable futures, including futures literacy, adaptability, and exploratory thinking.
