Media releases
Powering ahead towards carbon-neutral Alps
Emit no more greenhouse gases than the environment is capable of absorbing – that’s the vision the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA) is advocating for sustainable climate protection. In its Annual Report it highlights ways in which the Alps could become carbon-neutral and how people might be motivated to achieve that objective. Read More…
Sustainable building in europe’s mountain municipalities
The house of the 21st century is nice and cool in summer, nice and warm in winter, hardly uses energy and – being built of local wood – stimulates the regional economy. The MountEE project explores ways in which municipalities in Europe’s mountain areas can create such a building culture. Seven partners in European mountain areas – among them CIPRA – work together, learn together and jointly improve their strategies and construction methods. Read More…
Sustainable means a different kind of Olympics
For Switzerland today, a pioneering spirit means effectively reducing one’s carbon footprint. And using one’s own resources in such a way that generations to come are able to go on living a worthwhile life together with the rest of the world. Anything else is a misrepresentation, like the planned Winter Olympics in Graubünden in 2022. Sustainable Winter Olympics need a change of direction, something that the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which dictates the terms, is not even close to initiating. Read More…
The sense and sensuality of contemporary buildings
CIPRA has many years of experience with energy-efficient construction and renovation. It also has many years of experience networking people and publicising information. Which is why it is ideally placed to pass on expertise on contemporary buildings – throughout the Alps and beyond. And that is what CIPRA’s 2010 Annual Report titled Building for the Future is all about. Read More…
Wall blocks centres of six cities
In protest against the fragmentation of habitats in the Alpine space Stop – no way through! Today, 20 October 2010, a giant wall blocks the way of pedestrians in Zurich, Vienna, Munich, Ljubljana and Milan. For animals, it’s the same every day: streets and settlements increasingly fragment their migration routes. Against the background of the 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biodiversity, now being held in Nagoya, Japan, WWF, CIPRA, ALPARC and ISCAR (the ‘Ecological Continuum Initiative’) demonstrate with ‘The Wall’ how important interlinked habitats are for the survival of many plant and animal species. Read More…
Using less energy is a genuine energy transition
CIPRA, the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps, is demanding a genuine energy transition: using less energy while maintaining the same quality of life. Sustainable building and energy efficiency are therefore clear priorities. The fragile Alpine arc should in future also remain in a state of equilibrium. CIPRA demands that the environment ministers meeting today in Poschiavo, Switzerland, and the Alpine states should also aim for this genuine energy transition. Read More…
What municipalities can do for hermits and fire salamanders
The Alps possess an especially large and valuable diversity of plants and animals; this can only continue if habitats are preserved and remain connected to one another. Municipalities can contribute to this in many ways: CIPRA has produced a short film for municipal representatives showing how to make use of these opportunities. Read More…
Why Sochi is not in the Alps
The 2014 Winter Olympics could have been held in the Alps except that, at the time, Salzburg’s candidacy fell through with the IOC. Nowadays, the Winter Olympics have virtually no chance of success among the people who actually live in the Alps. CIPRA looks back at the experiences gained in recent years. Read More…
Young voices, new perspectives for the Alps
How do things stand with youth participation in the Alps? Where is action needed? A CIPRA report summarises the situation in the Alpine countries and shows the way forward. CIPRA has already taken a first step by creating a youth advisory council. Read More…
Living simply - with fewer resources
(08.04.2014) The Alps are coming under increasing pressure with developments such as the energy transition, the growth of tourism and urban sprawl. But we can offset the limited nature of their natural resources with the help of cultural resources – changing our values to focus more closely on an environmentally-friendly way of life. What this entails is the subject of CIPRA’s 2013 Annual Report. Read More…
Alpine policy put to the test
The Macro-Region Alps opens up new possibilities for co-operation. CIPRA’s calls over the years for more participation and implementation may yet be acted upon. International policy for the Alps is the focus of the latest issue of SzeneAlpen. Read More…
Biodiversity needs bold policy and stringent implementation
Biodiversity is a foundation for human wellbeing. However, strategies for its protection are not implemented effectively and projects often do not have the desired effect. The partners of the international project greenAlps present a series of recommendations for better implementation of existing policies in Alpine countries. Read More…
CIPRA: in pursuit of harmony on diversity
Animals and plants have to migrate in order to reproduce. That involves crossing land that is also used by human beings. In its 2014 Annual Report, CIPRA shows how animals, plants and people all benefit from networking within the natural environment. Read More…
Energy and nature in the Alps: a balancing act
The Alps offer great potential for renewable energy production. But this simultaneously increases the pressure on nature. The partners in the international recharge.green project have found ways to ensure this balancing act succeeds. They will be presenting their results at the final conference to be held on 20-21 May 2015 in Sonthofen, Germany. Read More…
Expo: Musicians crossing borders
On Sunday, 7 June 2015, the curtain will rise on 123 talented singers and musicians from Italy, France and Slovenia, some of them with special needs! Two orchestras and a women's choir from three Alpine countries will perform together for the very first time at the Expo 2015 in Milan. Their music will conquer language barriers, unite different experiences and reveal the diversity and creativity of the Alpine space. Read More…
Tracking change with CIPRA
Twenty-five years have passed since the Alpine Convention was established. In its Annual Report, CIPRA International focuses on the role the international agreement plays for panalpine cooperation today and the role it could play in the future. There is also an internal change to report – in August 2016, Andreas Pichler will be taking the helm of the Liechtenstein-based NGO. Read More…
Of ruins, deer and people
How do migration and depopulation, spatial planning or climate change affect quality of life? The various aspects of the relationships between the Alps and the people who live, work and relax there are the focus of AlpWeek 2016, to be held from 11 to 15 October 2016 in Grassau, Germany. It is being staged by leading Alpine-wide organisations, including CIPRA. Read More…
Society’s demands mark the landscape
Conflicting needs and exaggerated expectations collide when it comes to spatial planning. Its role needs to be rethought, with a move away from overall planning and a shift towards guidance and awareness-raising. This was the tenor of the CIPRA Annual Conference held on 29 and 30 September 2017 in Innsbruck, Austria. Read More…
Alpine crossing “whatsalp” successfully completed
Starting 3rd of June 2017, a group of Alpine experts were hiking through Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy from Vienna to Nice in the course of the project “whatsalp”. They documented the current state of the Alps and exchanged experiences with different people on-site and on the way. Another objective was to draw a comparison with the results of the "TransALPedes”crossing of the Alps in 1992 and to take a look into the future. The main partners of the project were the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA) and the Swiss Alpine Initiative, in addition to numerous other partners such as the Alpine Convention, for instance. On the 29th of September 2017, the whatsalp group arrived in Nice and reported on the results. Read More…
Partnership of Alpine communities for climate protection
CIPRA International presented the idea of a Climate Partnership of Alpine Communities at the opening day of the 2017 World Climate Summit in Bonn, Germany. In partnership with the “Alliance in the Alps” and “Alpine Town of the Year” networks, as well as the support of the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, CIPRA International wants to actively strengthen the role of towns and cities in the Alpine region in increasing climate protection in the coming years. Read More…
