Culture as a space for addressing interconnected global crises [Arts & culture in KM part 22]

This article is part 22 of a series exploring arts and culture in knowledge management. 

By Ian Thomas, Head of Research and Insights, Arts, The British Council. Originally published on the IISD SDG Knowledge Hub.

In a fragmented global policy environment characterized by complex crises, culture possesses the ability to reshape public policy and development frameworks. It also plays a crucial role in preventing, responding to, and recovering from crises, from initiatives focused on heritage restoration to intercultural dialogue aid in post-crisis reconstruction. Community-driven cultural engagement, too, strengthens social and economic resilience.

This impact arises from culture’s ability to promote inclusivity, foster social cohesion, and encourage sustainable practices. By incorporating cultural perspectives and values into policymaking, societies can tackle challenges more effectively and establish more resilient and equitable development pathways.

Culture offers the narratives and frameworks that enable societies to comprehend themselves and their position in the world. These narratives can serve as potent instruments for shaping development priorities and advocating specific values.

Cultural heritage is an important element in the lives and identities of communities and people, a powerful component for the building of resilience that can serve as a basis for sustainable recovery and lasting peace. Approximately 46% of public development banks (PDBs) involved in a recent study, are involved in heritage conservation, acknowledging cultural assets as vital for sustainable development. PDBs are providing sovereign loans, concessional loans, and grants the preservation of cultural heritage. For example, the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) has financed heritage restoration in Romania and Albania, linking cultural preservation with urban revitalization.

The recent Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025 highlighted that in the past five years, the number of countries tracking how much they spend on protecting cultural and natural heritage has tripled, jumping to 82 countries. Between 2019 and 2023, the global median public expenditure on cultural and natural heritage was USD 21.22 per person. This shows a growing commitment to preserving important sites and traditions.

The cultural and creative industries can act as drivers of economic growth and job creation. Investing in these sectors can aid in diversifying economies and generating new opportunities, especially for young people. The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimates that employment in the cultural and creative industries accounts for about 6.2% of global employment, equating to around 30 million individuals.

Creative and cultural industries contribute 3.1% to global gross domestic product (GDP), which amounts to USD 2.3 trillion. Despite setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the sector is experiencing a resurgence with an annual growth rate of 4-5%, propelled by digital transformation and the expansion of global markets. Creative exports now account for 19% of global service trade, enhancing soft power and economic influence.

In Europe, the cultural and creative industries rank among the most dynamic sectors, employing approximately 8.7 million people (3.8% of the workforce, representing 1.2 million enterprises). Cities like Berlin, Paris, and London are global creative hubs, driving employment in film, music, and design.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has conducted research on the significance of culture and creativity in fostering economic development. The IDB has supported over 120 projects spearheading efforts to generate knowledge and intersectoral public policy dialogues on the topic. The bank’s portfolio of operations and technical cooperation from 2013 to 2022 includes USD 2.538 billion associated with creative and cultural development.

An Arts Council England report found that public funding in the cultural sector generates indirect economic impact – or “spillovers” – that support the continued growth of the creative industries and wider economic development. These benefits ripple across key policy areas including investment, innovation, employment, exports, skills, public health, and regional regeneration. It identifies nine distinct types of impact, ranging from the stimulation of private and foreign investment to the boosting of innovation and digital technology. Collectively, they show how public funding helps to foster growth in ways that address market failure, unlock creative potential, and build healthy and robust creative and cultural ecosystems.

The UNESCO Mondiacult Declaration classified culture as a “global public good,” reinforcing culture’s position in the global development discourse. Through Action 11 of the UN Pact for the Future in 2024, governments committed to “protect and promote culture and sport as integral components of sustainable development.”

The British Council’s ‘Missing Pillar’ report serves as a resource to enhance understanding of the connection between arts, culture, and sustainable development. The report sought to bridge the divide between policy and practice by promoting connections between cultural and community-led initiatives and the thematic priorities of the SDGs. The report advocated for improved methods to measure and communicate the impact of participation in cultural life, as well as for the involvement of communities and local stakeholders to comprehend cross-cutting needs and ecosystems. Additionally, the report acknowledged the significance of digital technologies and the climate emergency as emerging priorities that require attention. The conclusions of the Missing Pillar report identified arts and culture as essential cross-cutting drivers of development.

This cross-cutting aspect of culture in public policymaking is increasingly evident in the voluntary national reviews (VNRs). Among the 205 reports submitted to the UN from 2016 to 2020, 119 made significant references to culture in relation to all 17 SDGs, emphasizing the growing acknowledgment of the cross-cutting role of culture in sustainable development.

The inclusion of culture in the development space has proven critical to ensuring context-relevant, people-centered, rights-based, and inclusive sustainable development models, encompassing the intrinsic diversity of societies and supporting the localization of the SDGs.

Article source: Culture as a Space for Addressing Interconnected Global Crises, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Header image source: Selby, C. (2012). Integrating Culture as a Cornerstone of Success in Sustainability Education: A Case Study, Youth Allies for Sustainability Leadership Program, Earth Care, Santa Fe, NM. Journal of Sustainability Education. CC BY 3.0 US.