A Place that Makes a Difference

Cultural and natural environments can be designated as World Heritage if they testify to the history of the earth or humanity in a truly unique way. Therefore, it is so important that World Heritage sites are preserved forever as the common heritage of humanity and the earth.

Only the most outstanding environments of their kind can be designated as World Heritage, and it is UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee that designates World Heritage sites. The Grimeton World Heritage is just such a site. Today, there are just over a thousand sites and environments on the World Heritage List worldwide, of which fifteen are in Sweden.

The common thread in all matters concerning the protection, preservation, management, and development of World Heritage sites is that they should be handled with respect for and knowledge of the World Heritage’s Outstanding Universal Value, abbreviated as OUV. In Swedish, the term is translated to ‘särskilt stort universellt värde’.

Here we talk about the sustainability work we do to preserve the site and use it without consuming it. World Heritage sites are places that make a difference.

 

World Heritage Sites in Sweden – Places that Make a Difference

World Heritage Sites in Sweden – Places that Make a Difference

Sweden has 15 World Heritage Sites, each with a unique story about our shared history. These places, recognized by UNESCO for their value to all of humanity, have the potential to promote sustainable development and peace, while offering value to local communities. Yet they are still unknown to many of us. Now these Swedish World Heritage Sites are getting a new language and a toolkit for storytelling.

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Three Questions for the Collaboration Group’s “Liaisons” – They Facilitate Matters Concerning the Grimeton World Heritage Site

Three Questions for the Collaboration Group’s “Liaisons” – They Facilitate Matters Concerning the Grimeton World Heritage Site

The Grimeton World Heritage Site belongs to everyone, to the whole world, by virtue of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site for 20 years. The responsibility for managing it lies with the Grimeton World Heritage Foundation. The foundation’s administrators are Telia Company, the County Administrative Board of Halland, Varberg Municipality, and Region Halland. A variety of issues – from infrastructure to site development and environmental matters – can affect many different parts of public operations, and to have a clearly designated contact between the World Heritage Site and each authority, there has been a “collaboration liaison” in each organization for some time. Therefore, we would like to take this opportunity to introduce them.

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World Heritage Sites should Lead the Way for Sustainability

When UNESCO developed its method, the work on Agenda 2030 and the global sustainability goals had not yet started. However, the concept of sustainable development was established, based on the Brundtland Commission’s report “Our Common Future” (1987). There, sustainable development was formulated as:

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

At the UN Conference on Environment and Development, UNCED 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, it was established that all development should be sustainable and that the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social, and environmental – should consistently and mutually support each other and be considered together when making decisions.

In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution with 17 global goals for a better world, called Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.

In the same year, the General Assembly of the World Heritage Convention adopted a policy for how the agenda should be integrated into the World Heritage Convention, called the Policy Document for the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the World Heritage Convention.

The work with World Heritage sites involves not only ensuring that the World Heritage sites are preserved for all time. The World Heritage sites should also be communicated and contribute to the development of society.

For example, as tourist destinations or as attractive environments to live and work in, creating meaning and belonging. World Heritage sites should also lead the way and take the lead in the work of transitioning to sustainable development in accordance with the UN’s agenda for sustainable development, Agenda 2030.

In 2019, the government established the new national strategy for World Heritage work in Sweden. The strategy clarifies responsibilities and roles in World Heritage work based on UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention.

The Vision for the National World Heritage Work

The vision is that World Heritage sites show the way to a sustainable and peaceful world. It is an increase in ambition and highlights the great potential of World Heritage sites to be role models and resources in sustainable development. World Heritage sites can contribute to creating sustainable societies by participating in sustainable tourism.

The national strategy includes the following overarching goals:

  • Agenda 2030 permeates all World Heritage work in Sweden.
  • The work with World Heritage sites in Sweden is exemplary in terms of preserving, using, and developing natural and cultural environments sustainably based on the Agenda 2030 goals.
  • Sweden is active in international cooperation, works to ensure that the convention is an effective and credible tool within UNESCO, and highlights the significance of World Heritage sites for the Agenda 2030 goals.
  • World Heritage work is characterized by cooperation, collaboration, dialogue, and local participation.

Grimeton World Heritage’s Sustainability Strategy

The Grimeton World Heritage has developed its own strategy for this important work. A work done together with the World Heritage’s managers; Varberg Municipality, County Administrative Board of Halland County, Region Halland, and Telia Company as well as our friends association Alexander and resulted in the strategy Sustainable Site Development Grimeton World Heritage 2023-2030 to have a clear roadmap where the local community is also engaged. The strategy work was done in a project supported by Tillväxtverket.

 

Explore the Strategy for Sustainable Site Development