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speciAlps2

[Project completed] More and more people are seeking recreation and balance in the natural surroundings of the Alps. This trend is not only being reinforced by the corona crisis, but also by society’s increasing pressure to perform. This puts increasing pressure on animals and plants, but also on destinations with their infrastructure and inhabitants. It is essential for visitors to be guided: the speciAlps2 project raised awareness of the protection of nature and landscape in the Alps and developed measures to guide visitors.

Green Deals for Municipalities

[Project completed] “Think globally – act locally”: promoting local action requires comprehensive skills and wide-ranging knowledge of the people working locally for climate protection. Partner organisations from Germany, Liechtenstein and Austria are now developing a participatory process under a transnational EU project. The goal is to empower local initiatives to act more effectively on climate protection in a global context.

Alpine landscape is not renewable!

Landscape is a key to negotiating social and political issues. CIPRA has taken up these issues as part of its Alpine-wide priority theme “Landscape” 2019-2020. This position paper, which was developed in a broad and participatory process with CIPRA representatives, young Alpine women and experts from all Alpine countries, is the conclusion of this priority theme.

Outdoor tourism as the new mainstream

The corona pandemic, digitisation and health are causing ever more people to spend their leisure time in the mountains. At the online conference “Outdoor tourism with a long-distance perspective” on 16 and 17 November 2020, experts from the fields of science and the industry discussed how sustainable and socially acceptable tourism in the Alpine region can succeed.

Outstanding architecture

Climate awareness meets aesthetics: Switzerland and Liechtenstein are awarded the “Constructive Alps” architecture prize for sustainable renovation and construction in the Alps for the fifth time.

The Alps as Commons

How does ecologically sustainable management in the Alpine region contribute to a better quality of life? Answers and food for thought are provided by the themed booklet SzeneAlpen, published in November 2020.

Developing Alpine culinary arts

The first competence centre for regional culinary arts in the Alps opened in autumn 2020 with the “Culinarium Alpinum” in Stans/CH, showing how the cooperation of various players is revitalising and developing Alpine food culture.

Point of view: A plea for colourful cities

Corona has strikingly shown how important accessible local recreation areas are for our well-being. Over 70 percent of the Alpine population live in cities. There is a great deal of potential for action there in particular, says Magdalena Holzer, Project Manager at CIPRA International.

Pesticides trial opens

No criticism of pesticides wanted: a South Tyrolean provincial council, along with over 1300 farmers, has accused pesticide critics of libel.

Young people demand climate-friendly Alpine ticket

High prices, long travel times, complex booking systems: an Alpine-wide survey by CIPRA's Youth Council shows that sustainable travel in the Alps must become more attractive.

Monitoring Alpine biodiversity

Photo traps, audio recorders, soil samples: a unique research project in the Alps documents the effects of the climate crisis on biodiversity in the Berchtesgaden National Park/D. The findings will also benefit other mountain regions.

Alps2030

[Project completed] Climate change, increasing consumption of resources and waste problems threaten nature and society in the Alps. With their 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), almost all countries worldwide have set themselves the target of making global development socially, ecologically and economically sustainable by 2030.

Strange, but true...

Freight transport belongs on the rails

EU transport ministers want to reach an agreement on the new Eurovignette Directive for transit traffic by the end of September 2020. CIPRA International and the "iMonitraf!" network are therefore calling for rapid agreement to ease the burden on humans and nature.

Youth and climate as the focus of AlpWeek

What do young people think about climate change in the Alps? This is the main theme of the AlpWeek Intermezzo, due to take place in Nice in December 2020.

Location policy at the expense of the environment

Slovenia’s government wants to restrict the right of civil society to have a say in controversial construction projects. Other Alpine countries are also pursuing location policies at the expense of the environment.

Talking about the climate – but how?

Personal, visual, social: this is how we communicate the climate crisis more effectively. Around 250 people discussed language, psychology and social media in the online conference “Tell stories, prick up your ears, make contacts”.

What can we learn from the coronavirus crisis?

In the Alps, too, the question now arises as to what will happen after the corona crisis. As part of its development of new projects, CIPRA conducted a survey to gain an impression of the current mood.

Vision Velo Alpina: a cycle path through the Alps

The Alpe-Adria cycle path or the Eurovelo routes: in the Alps there already exist cross-border long-distance cycle paths, but there is not yet a route through all the Alpine countries. A project to test the feasibility of a Velo Alpina wants to change this.

Point of view: The mountains, a safe place

During the lockdown due to the corona pandemic, mountain areas have gained in importance as places of retreat. In order to be able to fulfil this role better in the future, they must be strengthened and digitally networked, demands Vanda Bonardo, President of CIPRA Italy.

Freight transport belongs on the rails

Agreement on the Eurovignette Directive must not be delayed any longer. CIPRA International and the "iMonitraf!" network are therefore calling for rapid agreement to ease the burden on humans and nature. The aim of the directive must be preserved: freight transport needs to be shifted to the railways.

Hut transport: mules as an alternative

For centuries, mules and horses have transported goods in mountainous regions. What used to be the only means of transport has nowadays mostly been replaced by helicopter. A nature park in Piedmont, Italy, is now organising the delivery of goods to mountain huts by mule, while environmentally friendly alternatives to helicopters are also being tested elsewhere.

Quality from the mountains

Cheese, meat and honey – these and other products from the mountains must meet certain EU requirements to be allowed to bear the “mountain product” quality label, introduced by the EU in 2014. A recent study shows whether and how this term has become established.

Eurovignette Directive: Renewed postponement at the expense of climate protection and population

The treatment of the Eurovignette Directive by the transport ministers of the EU states is postponed until 28th of September. The International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA) is worried about the renewed delay and fears the dilution of a central concern of the EU Commission and Parliament, at the expense of climate protection and the population living along the motorways.

The Eurovignette Directive

CIPRA demands to national transport and environment ministers

Focus: transit

The strain placed on people and nature by transit traffic in the narrow Alpine valleys is a running sore in European transport policy, and not only at the Brenner Pass. This is nonetheless today’s hotspot for dramatically increasing truck traffic and air pollution, with the population plagued by permanent traffic jams and noise pollution, in part also caused by ever more freight trains.

Relieving the burden on transit-plagued Alpine regions

Representatives of the national transport ministries are currently discussing the strengthening of the infrastructure costs directive (Eurovignette Directive). Together with environmental organisations, CIPRA is calling for a substantial improvement in legislation to relieve the burden on the population in transit-stricken Alpine regions.

AlpTick

Having one ticket for all public transportation in the entire Alpine region – this is our vision. The Alpine Ticket (AlpTick) makes travelling in the Alps easier, more sustainable and more attractive for young people. It is an idea developed by the CIPRA Youth Council (CYC) based on its members’ experiences of travelling on public transport in the Alps.

One ticket, seven countries, 48 regions

AlpTick, one ticket for all public transportation in the entire Alpine region – this is the vision of the CIPRA Youth Council (CYC). Young people are invited to take part in a survey on mobility in the Alps.

A Matter of the Head: Our Image of Climate Protection

Climate change, climate crisis, climate emergency: how do we find the right words to talk about global warming? At the online conference of the Alpine Partnership for Local Climate Action on 30 June and 1 July 2020, the focus will be on communication about climate protection.