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Cultural sustainability is a new interdisciplinary approach, aimed to raise the significance of culture and its factors in local, regional and global sustainable development. Culture is an important aspect of sustainable development, as it refers to among others how we understand and appreciate natural resources and each other. Yet, role and meaning of culture within the frames of sustainable development is relatively vague both in science and policy. Sometimes culture has been treated as a component of the social dimension and sometimes as a forth pillar of sustainability. However, the call for culture is becoming more powerful along with the increasing ecological, economic and social, cultural challenges to meet the aims of sustainability.

Cultural sustainability in policy documents

Sustainable development and culture have been connected in many international policy documents and conventions. The linkages between biodiversity and cultural diversity have been recognised by Biodiversity Convention (1992) and after that in related documents published after Johannesburg. ‘Our Creative Diversity’ (World Commission of Culture and Development 1995), which resulted from the UNESCO decade of cultural development (1988-1997), culture was acknowledged to play both an instrumental role in promoting economic progress and have a constituent role as a desirable end in itself. Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage (UNESCO 2001), the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (UNESCO 2005). Culture is also mentioned as an important aspect of (sustainable) development in many policy documents of European Commission and Council, for example in the In From the Margins (EC 1995) Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion (EC Commission 2008), Culture in Development Policy (EC 2006) and the European Consensus on Development (European Parliament, Council and Commission 2006).

Cultural sustainability in academic research

On the academic research culture has been considered as an important aspect or even as a fourth pillar of sustainable development in the context of indigenous cultures, developing countries, and nature conservation, and also in the context of primary production, tourism and regional development. These studies usually suggest that cultural sustainability requires the recognition of local cultural values, equal rights and cultural logic of the respective communities in policy planning and decision-making, providing support for community-based or participatory approaches. Cultural sustainability has also been associated with the role of art, creativity and cultural activities for community vitality and community planning. Moreover, the promotion of cultural diversity and the preservation and conservation of tangible and intangible (local) cultural heritage have been considered important for sustainable development by many studies.

In addition to these aspects cultural sustainability has been viewed more broadly, as a cultural evolution towards more sustainable way of life, based on ethical choices in the everyday activities. In this respect cultural policy, social learning, innovations and education for sustainable development have been considered to be the essential means for the required cultural change.

Initiatives for integrating culture into the sustainable development There are various initiatives aiming for integrating culture in the sustainable development framework. Agenda 21 for culture is the reference document of the local governments to draw up their cultural policies. It’s based on the principles of cultural diversity, human rights, intercultural dialogue, participatory democracy, sustainability and peace. COST Action IS1007 Investigating Cultural Sustainability (2011-2015) is aiming for increasing understading of cultural dimension of sustainable development thorough multidiciplinary approaches.