Alps / Europe

Switzerland’s referendum-based democracy has pitfalls of its own when it comes to environmental and climate policy. It needs an overarching corrective in the same way as its neighbouring countries, says Kaspar Schuler – as a Swiss citizen and Executive Director of CIPRA International.

The Alpine countries are living at the expense of future generations: if everyone lived like those living in the Alpine region, the available resources for this year would be used up by May 2024.

Anoraks, climbing ropes, ski wax: many outdoor products contain persistent chemicals (PFAS). A recent study shows their worldwide distribution, with ski resorts in the Alps particularly affected.

Glaciers have been suffering from the consequences of climate change for years, but the latest figures from the Alpine countries are nevertheless alarming: measurements from 2022-23 show that the glaciers in the Alps shrank by more than ever before. A researcher from the Austrian Alpine Association describes the situation as “miserable as hell”.

The controversial Olympic bobsleigh run in Cortina is being built after all. Despite organisational concerns, Italy’s Infrastructure Minister, Matteo Salvini, has pushed construction through.

From artificial intelligence and the last kilometre to carrying capacity limits and nudging: the speciAlps podcast series and a webinar delve deeper into the topic of visitor guidance for a wide audience.

A legal milestone for climate protection: on 9 April 2024, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that Switzerland is violating the human rights of older women because the country is not doing what is necessary to combat global warming.

Trucks weighing up to 60 tonnes and 25 metres long: the European Parliament’s Transport Committee voted in favour of so-called gigaliners in mid-February 2024 – despite the serious concerns expressed by CIPRA.

Exchanging knowledge on climate protection in Southeast Europe, networking and learning to understand each other better: these were the aims of the Climate Bridges project of CIPRA International Lab, which has now been completed.

Good news for long-distance hikers: the new Via Alpina website is now online, making it easier and more fun to plan hiking trips through the Alps.