• Oral traditions and expressions
• Performing arts
• Social practices
• Knowledge and practices
• Traditional craftsmanship

• Green principles in intangible cultural heritage (ICH) refer to the application of environmentally sustainable values in the safeguarding and transmission of living cultural practices.
• They reflect harmony between cultural expression and environmental stewardship.

Environmental respect

Using natural resources responsibly. Example: traditional weaving using locally grown, renewable fibers.

Harmony with ecosystem

Aligning practices with natural cycles. Example: traditional agricultural calendars based on lunar phases.

Resource sustainability

Avoiding waste, reusing materials. Example: ritual crafts made from biodegradable materials.

Transmission of eco-knowledge

Passing environmental wisdom to youth. Example: teaching traditional water conservation methods

Respect for Diversity

• recognizing biodiversity and cultural diversity as linked

Stewardship

• caring for the environment as part of spiritual or communal duty

Example: Sacred groves, traditional hunting taboos, indigenous fire management.

Discussion prompt:
How does cultural respect for nature translate into environmental protection today?

Resource Efficiency

• using materials minimally and wisely.

Cyclical Renewal

• seasonal rituals that maintain balance and regeneration.

Example: Rotational agriculture, fishing calendars, crafts using renewable materials.

Interactive task: Map one traditional practice in your region that ensures sustainable use of resources.

Harmony with nature

• living within ecological limits.

Community Cooperation

• collective management of shared resources

Example: Communal irrigation system, seasonal fishing and sacred forests.

Reflection question:
What can modern environmental management learn from community-based ICH systems?

Intergenerational Learning

• Passing ecological knowledge through culture.

Adaptation and Innovation

• Maintaining relevance while responding to change.

Example: eco-friendly craft revival, green festivals, storytelling and apprenticeship.

Activity:

• Can you think of a way for ICH community pass eco-knowledge to youth?

In Bali, farmers have worked together for centuries through a system called Subak, a traditional method of managing irrigation for rice fields. Guided by temple rituals and community agreements, farmers share water fairly, protect watersheds, and maintain a balance with the natural landscape. Their cultural rules prevent overuse, support biodiversity, and keep the ecosystem healthy.
Subak isn’t just about farming—it's a living heritage of cooperation and respect for nature. By relying on shared decision-making and long-held ecological knowledge, communities ensure that water is used sustainably, fields remain fertile, and traditions are passed on to the next generation. Subak shows how cultural practices can be inherently green, long before the word “sustainability” existed.

A case study of Balinese irrigation management: Institutional dynamics and challenges

While sustainability is often described through three pillars—economic, social, and environmental—culture provides the context, knowledge systems, and values that shape them. In this sense, culture can be understood as both a fourth pillar and the foundation that supports the other three.

• Traditional ecological knowledge (e.g., water management, agroforestry, seed conservation, sustainable fishing/herding) often preserved in oral traditions, rituals, and practices.
• Eco-friendly craft practices: using natural materials (clay, bamboo, natural dyes), reducing reliance on polluting industrial inputs.
• Sustainable festivals and rituals: minimizing waste, energy use, and ecological footprint of large gatherings.
• Climate resilience: ICH as a repository of adaptive knowledge for coping with droughts, floods, or changing seasons.

In parts of Kenya, pastoralist communities have passed down weather-forecasting skills for generations. Elders read the sky, the wind, plants, even the behavior of animals to anticipate droughts or heavy rains.

This intimate knowledge, born from their living heritage, hasn’t just preserved their way of life — it now helps the whole ecosystem. By applying traditional indicators, they make decisions that protect biodiversity, guide grazing patterns, and build resilience in a changing climate. 

Their wisdom shows us that culture isn’t just a memory: it can be a powerful tool for environmental sustainability.

Case studies conducted by UNESCO in East Africa on living heritage and climate change

• Livelihoods & green economies: crafts, gastronomy, and performing arts can provide income when managed sustainably.
• Sustainable tourism: when well-designed, ICH-centered tourism promotes local economies while respecting community values and environment.
• Innovation through tradition: reinterpreting heritage crafts with eco-friendly markets (e.g., organic food, natural textiles).

In coastal Shandong, China, the Fishermen’s Dances once celebrated safe returns from the sea.

As traditional fishing declined, the tradition began to fade. But instead of disappearing, the dancers adapted. They reshaped the performances for festivals, cultural events, and tourism, creating new income opportunities for the community.

The dances changed, yes—but in doing so, they survived. The story shows how ICH can support economic sustainability, and how communities can keep heritage alive by allowing it to evolve while still honoring its roots.

Heritage preservation vs. adaptation to achieve sustainability – A case study of the Fishermen’s Dances, Rizhao city, Shandong province, China

• Community identity & cohesion: ICH sustains belonging, well-being, and intergenerational ties.
• Equity & inclusion: safeguarding ensures marginalized groups (Indigenous peoples, women, youth) have a voice.
• Transmission of values: languages, rituals, oral traditions sustain diversity and social continuity.

In a rural corner of China, the centuries-old art of Luanzhou shadow puppetry was at risk of fading  away. But rather than letting it vanish, the community breathed new life into it. 
Artists, designers, and heritage bearers came together to reimagine shadow play for the modern world: they crafted cultural-creative products inspired by the puppets, developed digital experiences, and created platforms where young people could both learn and perform. 
By weaving shadow play into the fabric of rural life, they strengthened social bonds, passed knowledge between generations, and gave people new reasons to stay and participate. In doing so, the tradition didn’t just survive — it empowered the community and contributed to its long-term social wellbeing.

Research on the Redesign of China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Based on Sustainable Livelihood—The Case of Luanzhou Shadow Play Empowering Its Rural Development

• Safeguarding transmission: ensuring that ICH is living, not fossilized—adaptable to modern needs without losing core values.
• Respect for diversity: sustaining cultural variety as part of global heritage.
• Link to sustainable development: recognizing that cultural sustainability underpins social, economic, and environmental pillars.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations members in 2015, created 17 world sustainable development goals. They are grounded in the 5 Ps that are peace, prosperity, people, planet and partnership. 

More about the SDG´s 

In 2015 ICOMOS published the report “Heritage and the Sustainable Development Goals: Policy Guidance for Heritage and Development Actors”, which emphasizes that safeguarding cultural heritage is not only about preservation, but also about using heritage as a driver for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient societies.

For those working in the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) field, this means linking safeguarding efforts to community well-being and sustainable livelihoods. Traditional knowledge, craftsmanship, oral traditions, and social practices can inspire innovative, locally grounded solutions to today’s global challenges—if they are transmitted and adapted sustainably.

See report, click here

Think of a traditional practice from your own community. 
How does it contribute to sustainability, and which pillar—environmental, social, cultural, or economic—does it support the most?

This unit introduces three practical tools to assess and evaluate ICH in terms of green practices and sustainability.

1. Green principles checklist

2. Sustainability reflection tool

3. Stakeholders theory
 

A quick reflection tool based on the four green themes:

• Does the practice show environmental respect?
• Are resources used sustainable?
• Is eco-knowledge passed on?
• Is it in harmony with the ecosystem?

Choose a practice and apply this checklist to answer.

Based on this checklist, in which areas does the practice perform strongly, and in which areas could improvements be made?

Use the four pillars of sustainability to assess the ICH practice: 

• Environmental
• Economical
• Social
• Cultural

Rate each pillar and identify strengths and opportunities for improvements.

Definition: 
Stakeholder theory says that organizations should consider the needs and interests of all groups affected by their actions—not just shareholders—in order to create long-term value.

Why stakeholders theory is useful in integrating green and sustainable practices in ICH?
Stakeholder theory offers a powerful tool to integrate green practices in ICH because it highlights how environmental sustainability depends on cooperation among practitioners, communities, policymakers, and the environment itself. 

It shows that cultural traditions thrive best when all stakeholders work together to protect both heritage and nature
 

Choose an ICH practice from your own community. 
Who are the key stakeholders involved (e.g., practitioners, elders, youth, local businesses, authorities, tourists, environmental groups)? Map them out, and then reflect: 
What role could each play in integrating greener and more sustainable practices?