Restoration and historic buildings facing sustainability challenges

In the context of the global sustainability goals introduced by the U.N. 2030 Agenda, the strong relevance of Goals 11 and 13 with respect to cultural heritage is highlighted, and programmatic content related to the New European Bauhaus and the Green Deal is discussed. A reflection on the role of cultural heritage and past buildings about the green revolution ahead is proposed, particularly on the building stock, which has a bearing on achieving the global sustainability goals. The ICOMOS 2019 and Europa Nostra 2021 documents are briefly addressed, showing how the issues of architecture, landscapes and intangible things of the past are part of the European identity structure, and require appropriate attention in policy agendas. Finally, an analysis of the status of environmental sustainability measures for historic buildings in Italy is proposed: it presents an opportunity to consider a redefinition, also at the ontological level, of criteria and objectives of the disciplineof restoration and the role of historic building heritage in future society