The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC Attraction Standard) aims to establish global sustainability standards for attractions, guiding businesses such as theme parks, museums, and national parks toward sustainable practices. The GSTC Attraction Standard are the minimum that any attraction business should aspire to reach. They are organised around four main themes: effective sustainability planning, maximizing social and economic benefits for the local community, enhancing cultural heritage, and reducing negative impacts on the environment. They have applicability to the entire attraction industry. TheGSTC Attraction Standard has been developed for the attractions sector, including national parks and businesses like theme parks, museums, and other similar entities. The development process was a 14-month-long journey from September 2023 to November 2024, with support from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

Profound growth and disruption in global tourism, including cultural heritage tourism, has necessitated the revision of the ICOMOS International Charter for Cultural Tourism (1999). The process has resulted in this ICOMOS International Charter for Cultural Heritage Tourism (2021): Reinforcing cultural heritage protection and community resilience through responsible and sustainable tourism management (hereinafter “the Charter”), which complements and updates the previous one. In addition to recognising the intensified tourism use of cultural heritage places and destinations, this Charter addresses increasing concerns about the degradation of cultural heritage along with social, ethical, cultural, environmental and economic rights issues associated with tourism.

Since its establishment in 1965 as a worldwide organisation of heritage professionals dedicated to the study, documentation, and protection of cultural heritage sites, ICOMOS has striven to promote the conservation
ethic in all its activities and to help enhance public appreciation of humanity’s material heritage in all its forms
and diversity…The purpose of this Charter is therefore to define the basic principles of Interpretation and Presentation as essential components of heritage conservation efforts and as a means of enhancing public appreciation and understanding of cultural heritage sites.

Whether we eat a vegetarian meal, ride our bikes, or install a solar panel: Constantly, we are making decisions in the interest of our environment – or not. What guides and motivates our actions is explored by environmental psychology. Based on a psychological model, this handbook about the psychology of environmental protection explains how to understand and promote sustainable actions more successfully. It is the first book in German to summarise environmental psychology’s treasure of knowledge in a scientifically profound and practical way. Each chapter is dedicated to an important topic like self-efficacy, social norms, and emotions. Guiding questions and examples that are close to everyday life facilitate a direct implementation in environmental protection. The handbook is directed at all people that want to design their environmental projects and communication more effectively – pedagogues, urban gardeners, environmental activists, or employees of environmental organisations.

This publication contains the “Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy’ Framework”, which were developed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises. The Special Representative annexed the Guiding Principles to his final report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/17/31), which also includes an introduction to the Guiding Principles and an overview of the process that led to their development. The Human Rights Council endorsed the Guiding Principles in its resolution 17/4
of 16 June 2011.

European Commission, July 2008

Food loss and waste occurs throughout the food system – from farm through to fork. This guide focuses on food waste from households which is a significant issue in many countries. The causes of food waste at household level are complex. There are many drivers and many behaviours which lead to food being wasted. The main reasons for food being wasted are: (1) food not being used in time, possibly because of sub-optimal storage, lack of planning, lack of skills and knowledge or (2) through having leftovers which are then not used.

Prepared on behalf of Champions 12.3, The Business Case for Reducing Food Loss and Waste analyses the financial impacts of historical food loss and waste reduction efforts conducted by a country, a city, and numerous companies. The results show that the financial benefits of taking action often significantly outweighed the costs.  This publication also identifies a number of complementary strategic benefits of reducing food loss and waste. It concludes by outlining how governments and companies can embark on reduction efforts.

Flowery grasslands with their breath-taking beauty and buzz of wildlife have almost vanished from our countryside. Once commonplace, now only fragments remain. Incredibly, churchyards and cemeteries are sometimes the last refuge in the parish for this wonderful but increasingly rare habitat. Maybe your churchyard, chapel yard or cemetery retains some of this precious grassland? If so it is worth treasuring. Here we provide information about the rich natural and cultural history of flowery grasslands. You can read about the types of flowers that you may expect to find, as well as the link that many have to Christianity. We give practical guidance on how best to look after your grassland as well as a way of assessing its condition. Finally, we will share ideas of how to celebrate it with your parishioners and visitors.

More information on: Meadows & Wildflowers – Caring For God’s Acre – the conservation charity for burial grounds across the UK

This study aims to identify the factors that constitute the social value of heritage in relation to sustainable tourism. To do so, this paper provides a theoretical contribution by unifying the fields of heritage management and sustainable tourism through a mixed-method approach. It showcases the social dimension of the World Heritage Site of Altamira, Spain, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques. Research findings provide information about the multiple factors determining the social value of heritage, namely: existential, aesthetic, economic, and legacy values and the risks associated with underestimating the contemporary social value. Ultimately, this research paves the way for improving normative approaches toward sustainable tourism and, offers practical solutions to the challenges faced by the Altamira and other World Heritage Sites.

Cultural Heritage (CH) is recognised as being of historical, social, and anthropological value and is considered as an enabler of sustainable development. As a result, it is included in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 11 and 8. SDG 11.4 emphasises the protection and safeguarding of heritage, and SDG 8.9 aims to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products. This paper briefly reviews the geoinformatics technologies of photogrammetry, remote sensing, and spatial information science and their application to CH. Detailed aspects of CH-related SDGs, comprising protection and safeguarding, as well as the promotion of sustainable tourism are outlined. Contributions of geoinformatics technologies to each of these aspects are then identified and analysed. Case studies in both developing and developed countries, supported by funding directed at the UN SDGs, are presented to illustrate the challenges and opportunities of geoinformatics to enhance CH protection and to promote sustainable tourism. The potential and impact of geoinformatics for the measurement of official SDG indicators, as well as UNESCO’s Culture for Development Indicators, are discussed. Based on analysis of the review and the presented case studies, it is concluded that the contribution of geoinformatics to the achievement of CH SDGs is necessary, significant and evident. Moreover, following the UNESCO initiative to introduce CH into the sustainable development agenda and related ICOMOS action plan, the concept of Sustainable Cultural Heritage is defined, reflecting the significance of CH to the United Nations’ ambition to “transform our world”.

The noticeable urgent need for the preservation of collective and cultural memory in Europe, coupled with a fear of loss of important aspects of heritage, indicates the importance of educating the youth who will become future policymakers in the field. Analyses of the survey conducted through this research show the current perspective of youth on the typology of World War II memorials on the territories of the former republics, now independent states, of SFR Yugoslavia in Southeast Europe. Targeting architecture and civil engineering students as a specific youth group who are directly involved in learning about the built memorial structures, as well as the phenomenological background of space, creation of place and memories, resulted in a qualitative observation of the group’s understanding and judgement of the topic. This article investigates the level of knowledge and emotional response to memorial heritage within the target group. It addresses relevant issues of age, gender, level of study, and respondents’ backgrounds, demonstrating the existence of an initial interest in memorial heritage among the architecture-oriented youth. With an additional focus on a possible active role in heritage preservation and future placement, the research indicates a segment in the youth’s comprehension of valuable memorial heritage that needs to be improved.

This article examines the lasting environmental consequences of World War II across the Pacific, focusing on the impact of naval battles, chemical contamination, and military waste. Decades later, these remnants continue to pose serious ecological threats. Thousands of sunken vessels, many still leaking oil and other hazardous substances, endanger marine biodiversity. Meanwhile, unexploded ordnance and abandoned military structures contribute to pollution and pose risks to both land and sea environments. 

Heavy metal contamination and habitat destruction further complicate restoration efforts, making environmental recovery a long-term challenge. These war-related impacts highlight the difficulties of mitigating historical damage while ensuring the sustainability of the region’s natural resources. Addressing these legacies remains crucial for protecting the Pacific’s ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. 

The research examines how concerns about tourism and sustainability emerged, how they evolved over time, and how these topics became institutionalised within UNESCO’s World Heritage evaluation process. The analysis covers over 800 cultural and natural sites nominated for the World Heritage List, and it illustrates the ongoing tension between preservation and accessibility, a fundamental challenge in heritage management. It also highlights the crucial but sometimes controversial role of ICOMOS and IUCN as gatekeepers and standard setters for sustainable tourism at World Heritage sites. Their evolving discourse—shaped by global sustainability agendas, state interests, and local realities—will continue to influence how World Heritage is managed.  

Tourism has been seen as both beneficial and harmful to heritage sites. Initially viewed as an economic boost, over time, it has been recognized as a threat to these sites’ integrity and authenticity. By the 2000s, formal tourism management strategies became required, reflecting the growing emphasis on sustainability in heritage governance. However, the concept of sustainable tourism remains ambiguous and inconsistently applied. Additionally, there are power imbalances: developed countries often frame tourism positively with less oversight, while developing countries are seen as lacking the capacity to manage tourism properly and face more stringent recommendations.