Implementing sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals in the cultural sector: the case of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Abstract

The missing place of culture in the sustainability discourse has been claimed by many scholars. Culture is highlighted as a key factor for sustainable development. Despite this, little considerations develop the integration of Sustainable Development Goals in the cultural sector. Accordingly, theoretical developments have not encountered significant feedback in practical terms. Daily and long-term management of cultural institutions demonstrate concerns and difficulties in practicing sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals. The research maps the implementation of sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals in the management system of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Two main reasons detect UNESCO World Heritage Sites as the ideal institutions for exploring the effective integration of sustainability in the cultural sector. Firstly, inscription guidelines for potential UNESCO World Heritage Sites require the sustainable preservation and use of the heritage. Secondly, management plans of the Sites are updated regularly to maintain the entitlement. The periodic review provides possible exploration and expansion of sustainability discourse and Sustainable Development Goals in the cultural sector inspired by practice. A literature review on the contemporary discourse on culture and sustainability introduces the main corpus of the research, focused exclusively on UNESCO World Heritage Sites. A quantitative content analysis examines management plans of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, inscribed in the List from 2017 to 2023. Subsequently, the most relevant management plans are selected and examined with a qualitative approach. The research discovers that the implementation between sustainability and culture is characterized by a wide range of levels of integration. The configuration of this relationship is strictly related to the context and culture of provenance of the cultural institution.