France

Rockfalls and rockslides are nothing new in the Alps, but dwindling permafrost is making the situation even worse – for mountaineering and for villages.

While the new CO2 law in Switzerland has for the time being failed, a climate protection alliance is forming in Bavaria; Austria is discussing a climate protection law; and in France the Climate Council is taking courageous decisions.

The French city of Grenoble aims to become the 2022 “European Green Capital”. It can play its biggest trump card in the build-up to this coveted award: the Alps.

A success story: December 2018 saw the opening of the 100th «Maison de services au public» in the French Alps.

More youth participation in the Alps! This was the plea made by the GaYA Conference in Chambéry, France, to politicians and policymakers in the Alpine countries. The strength of feeling involved was illustrated by the participation of numerous young people and representatives from the spheres of politics and society.

How can young people actively shape the future of the Alps? The GaYA Conference on 30 November 2018 in Chambéry/F focuses on youth participation and governance.

Jean Horgues-Debat reserves the right to get it wrong. ‘There is no norm,’ says the 60-year-old engineer. ‘We’re allowed to give it a go, develop, and reject.’

Travel threatens the very values upon which tourism in the Alps depends, creating a real dilemma. Sustainable mobility in tourism is not simply a competitive advantage, but a “must”, states Barbara Wülser, deputy director of CIPRA International.