Interview With Antonio Jesús Antequera Delgado, Coordinator of the National Plan for Cultural Landscapes, Ministry of Culture, Government of Spain

1. Tell us about your personal, educational journey that lead you to your career with the Spanish Culture Ministry.

My path to the Ministry of Culture began with my passion for all things related to heritage and architecture.

I was born in Almería (Andalusia, in southern Spain), and as a child, I was deeply impressed by the ancient city walls and the medieval citadel of Almería (called La Alcazaba), built by the Muslims in the 11th century during the Al-Andalus time. In addition, my family is from Granada, the city of the gorgeus Alhambra, and from a young age, they introduced me to this unparalleled monument, showed it to me, (they even told me and read its legends), and I would always go there to explore and admire it. My love for heritage and architecture stems from that time. It´s like a matter of identity for me, about knowing who we really are, maybe.

So, by the age of six or seven, I already knew I wanted to be an architect—not only to build modern buildings but also to preserve those of our ancestors.

La Alcazaba of Almería (Spain). Credits: Enamorados de Almería.

During my undergraduate studies, I specialized in urban planning, land management, environment and cultural heritage. After graduating as an architect, I completed a master's degree and then my PhD, titled "When memory is fixed in space: identity and invisible heritage in the urban areas annexed to Madrid between 1948 and 1954."

This topic, the phenomenon of the public's perception of spaces, monuments, and places as heritage, began to interest me during my university studies.

Finally, while working on my PhD, I came across the syllabus for the competitive examinations for Museum Curator at the Ministry of Culture and saw that there were many topics covering aspects such as the evolution of the concept of heritage, the evolution of regulations, new heritage elements, identity, and so on. I took the exams, passed, and started working in the Ministry in May 2021.

2. What are your responsibilities for the Spanish Culture Ministry?

I am currently the Head of the Cultural Heritage and Climate Change Service, where I am responsible for issues related to industrial heritage and cultural landscapes. I also coordinate the National Cultural Landscape Plan and represent the Ministry at the Council of Europe for the Landscape Convention. Since last year, I have been Vice-Chair of the Executive Board of the Council of Europe Landscape Convention. It is both an honor and a great responsibility.

Since I started working at the Ministry, I´m in charge of the cultural heritage side events at the Spanish Pavilion during the COPs. It's a privilege to be able to experience COPs so closely, being a part of them to some extent.

3. How are you involved with Climate Heritage Network (CHN)?

Our relationship with CHN began through Andrew Potts, whom I met at the COP in Dubai, at a side event organized by Greece. A few months later, at a G20 meeting in Brasilia, I was able to speak with him in more detail and learn about all the projects you carry out, and vice versa.

We hit it off, and Andrew invited us to participate in a conference on cultural heritage and climate change in Washington in October 2024. If I'm not mistaken, I believe it was the first time a conference specifically on this topic had been held, sponsored by the Federal Government through the Advisory Council of Historic Preservation.

It was a historic event, undoubtedly very important for all of us who had the opportunity to participate, and we have been in constant contact ever since. Andrew has been a panelist at several of our side events, such as those held at COP29 in Baku and Mondiacul 2025 in Barcelona. From the Ministry we greatly value what you do and your projects are very much aligned with our strategic line on climate change.

It is important for us to follow the projects you develop and to continue counting on your participation as experts in our conferences, events, and roundtables. You provide us with a fundamental perspective on cooperation with civil society, communities, and small administrations with whom you work most closely.

It is also valuable to have your experience and feedback on initiatives and projects we develop, such as the Protocol for the Implementation of Renewable Energies in Cultural Heritage Properties, the Green Paper for the Sustainable Management of Cultural Heritage, and the National Cultural Landscape Plan.

4. Tell us about your Blue Pavilion programing at COP30 where more than 50 events will take place and the fire that broke out on November 20, 2025 at the African Pavilion where CHN negotiator Darius Ankamah was at work.

Starting with the second question, fortunately I wasn't at the COP that day, and my colleagues at the pavilion told me they suffered no personal or material damage. I hope Darius is alright and that he didn't suffer any harm either. That's the most important thing, without a doubt.

Regarding the programming of the Spanish Pavilion, I have to say that Spain has had its own pavilion since COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh. (Previously, it only had one at the COP held in Madrid in 2019). This is great news for us, and we are making the most of it by creating dialogue sessions, roundtables, expert panels, etc. The programming is very varied and diverse, ranging from energy transition to mobility, smart cities, international cooperation, and, of course, cultural heritage and culture.

We are the ones in charge of cultural and heritage issues at the pavilion, and we have been organizing an expert panel on this topic for four consecutive years. It is very important for us, because it is an exceptional showcase and forum, where you can count (either as a panelist or as an audience member) on some of the world's leading experts in the field.

In addition to Andrew from CHN, we have had representatives from the World Monuments Fund, the Greek Initiative for Cultural Heritage and Climate Change, the Council of Europe, and the Group of Friends for Culture-Based Climate Action.

The side event we organize every year in the Spanish pavilion is strategic for us, and we hope to continue doing so for as many years as possible. We must continue to pave the way for the integration of cultural heritage into the COPs.

5. Tell us about the Mediterranean Climate Action Partnership.

Currently, I have no connection with this initiative. Perhaps my colleagues in Ecological Transition will; I'll look into it. The Mediterranean initiative with which we collaborate extensively is the Greek Initiative for Cultural Heritage and Climate Change, led by Mr. George Kremlinis. They are a leading authority in this field and one of the most authoritative and expert voices at the COPs. At the European level, they paved the way for including cultural heritage on the COP agenda.

We always say this and are deeply grateful to them for it. They have been and continue to be an inspiration to us. We also collaborate with them on a pilot case study, the Alhambra in Granada, which, along with other iconic sites like Delphi, is being monitored for climate change. These results are shared with the institute in Athens, which is creating a database.

6. Tell us about about the Spanish Green Growth Group.

It's a very interesting and necessary initiative, but the opportunity to collaborate with them hasn't arisen yet. However, we follow their projects, and perhaps we can do something together at some point.

They are very advanced in their field of action and there are lines that have a link with culture and heritage, such as the circular economy.

7.Where can viewers follow your events digitally if they are not present at Belem, Brazil?

The events were streamed online, although there were some technical issues for which we apologize. All sessions are available on YouTube.

This is the link to our side-event:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unk36ts48oQ

Here you can access to all the side events of the Spanish pavilion:

https://www.youtube.com/@fundacionbiodiversidad/streams

However, we will prepare a document with the conclusions and main ideas contributed by the experts from our side event, which we will circulate.

8. Anything else you would llike to add.

Thank you so much for this interview. COP25 allows us to learn about projects, initiatives, leaders, artists, and experts like yourselves who share our concern for climate change and cultural heritage. Just as we don't have a Planet B, we don't have a Planet B either. And if we lose our planet, we will lose our heritage, our identity, who we are and who came before us. Heritage and culture must play a decisive role in strategies to combat climate change. Culture always unites and always adds value. And when we talk about culture and heritage, we are all very sensitive, because if it is damaged it is as if our family heritage were damaged.

9. How can people reach you?

I will be happy to answer any questions or provide further information about the interview via my work email: antonio.antequera@cultura.gob.es

I would also like to contribute these links to our projects:

Green Paper on Sustainable Management of Cultural heritage: https://www.cultura.gob.es/libro-verde-patrimonio/en/portada.html

Protocol for renewable energies:
https://libreria.cultura.gob.es/libro/action-protocol-for-the-assessment-of-implementing-renewable-energies-in-cultural-assets_10591/

Sincerely,
Selva Ozelli Member of CHN, Artist
WhatsApp: 1-646-864-8825