The climate change hurts the Alps stronger than other regions in Europe. Therefore many measures in different fields have been taken and prepared to mitigate or to adapt to the climate change.
Climate change is a fact. It can be seen all over the world and it is particularly noticeable in the Alps. Our society has already begun to take measures to adapt to these changes or to mitigate them. Some of the direct or indirect responses to the consequences of climate change include snow guns, glacier films, avalanche baffle installations, renewable energies, passive houses, public transport, etc. But not all these measures are equally in harmony with nature, society and the economy. So what impact do these measures have, and is the impact in the long run perhaps even more severe for our environment and our society than the impact of climate change itself?
CIPRA believes that these questions are asked all too seldom. That's why it has taken the initiative to look more closely at these issues, with its cc.alps project. CIPRA wants to help ensure that climate response measures are as much in harmony with the principle of sustainable development as possible. CIPRA wants to prevent measures being taken in the name of climate protection which ultimately would have a negative impact on the environment or society.

Collect and evaluate climate measures
The cc.alps project gathers and evaluates measures already implemented, measures whose results are already visible. To this end a group of international experts draws up definitions for fields of action and a rating system to be able to evaluate climate response measures systematically and as objectively as possible with regard to their impact on nature, society and the economy. CIPRA will then use these foundations to raise awareness of the impact of climate change in the Alpine region. CIPRA will warn against those measures which do not comply with the principle of sustainability and propagate those measures which are in harmony with sustainability.
In May 2008 cc.alps is launching a competition across the Alps aimed at finding successful activities and projects in the area of climate protection. An international jury will evaluate the contributions and, in the autumn, award prizes worth a total of €100,000. (For more information see the following article).

Sustain climate pilot regions
cc.alps also aims to yield results which can be put to direct practical use and support their implementation. That's why cc.alps is preparing to co-operate with pilot regions which are willing to commit themselves to a sustainable approach to the impact of climate change. They are to illustrate by way of example how climate response measures in the Alpine region can be shaped in an eco-friendly way.
Building on the positive experience it gained with its Future in the Alps Project completed in December 2007, CIPRA will again make the findings and the practical solutions available to the general public and to interested target groups as part of the cc.alps project. The know-how will be published through workshops, conferences, publications and electronic media; in addition stakeholders in the Alps will have the possibility of establishing new contacts and exchanging their knowledge.
cc.alps started in February 2008 and will finish in June 2009. The budget of the project is of 1.2 Millions Euros and is financed by the Swiss MAVA foundation for nature. A follow up project is foreseen.