Picture the scene: lunch in a restaurant on the village square, with the items on your plate only produced and processed locally. One place that this idea – of keeping the value-added chain as regional as possible – is being realised is Poschiavo, Switzerland: the originators of the “100% Val Poschiavo” project were recently granted the Swiss “Milestone” award for sustainable tourism.

The sixth “State of the Alps” report is in fact concerned with such initiatives for climate-friendly, resource-saving economic systems. Work was led by a dedicated team of experts set up under the German presidency of the Alpine Convention for the years 2015/2016. The report shows that the Alpine region already contains numerous innovative, practical examples for sustainable economies and presents experiences and recommendations that demonstrate how the quality of life and wellbeing of local people can be strengthened through the Green Economy. The Alpine countries can now build on these foundations, believes Andreas Pichler, director of CIPRA International. The representatives of the Alpine states adopted an appropriate declaration regarding the report at the Alpine conference. Andreas Pichler, however, emphasises that much work still lies ahead: “We are now hoping that the efforts of the Alpine states will go beyond the principles anchored in their declaration. The conflicts between those seeking a sustainable economy and those advocating one based purely upon growth must be directly addressed”.

Sources and information:

www.alpconv.org/de/organization/groups/economy/default.html (de, fr, sl, en, it), www.bmub.bund.de/fileadmin/Daten_BMU/Download_PDF/Europa___International/alpenzustandsbericht_VI_en_bf.pdf (en), www.bmub.bund.de/themen/europa-international/int-umweltpolitik/alpenkonvention/aktuelle-meldungen/detailansicht-alpenkonvention/artikel/alpenzustandsbericht/?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=289 (de), www.bmub.bund.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/pm/artikel/hendricks-alpen-sollen-modellregion-fuer-nachhaltiges-wirtschaften-in-europa-werden/?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=3503 (de)