Discussions on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), getting to know each other for the first time, presentations of creative ideas: the kick-off for the two-year Alps2030 project took place on 9 December 2020 as part of the “AlpenWoche Intermezzo”. The kick-off showed that many young people are already thinking about a more climate-friendly future, says CIPRA project manager Christina Thanner. The participants from Liechtenstein, for example, proved that sustainability can also be fun: they have set themselves the goal of organising the “Planken rockt” festival in August next year in a sustainable way. The Italian team also wants to plan “green events”, as they explained in a short video message. They want to show that celebrating and enjoying life are not in conflict with the SDGs. Outdoor lessons, creating a nature-oriented meeting place in the school library, workshops on waste reduction, building a library of useful things: the young people from Slovenia also presented a wealth of creative ideas and actions that they would like to implement as part of the project.

With the Alps2030 project, CIPRA International, the Alpine Town of the Year Association, OJA Schaan, Planken and Eschen/LI and the four Alpine Towns of the Year Tolim/S, Idrija/S, Belluno/I and Chamonix/F are contributing to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals at local level. Young people between the ages of 13 and 25 participate with their own ideas in the political and social life of their communities. They learn that they themselves are capable of initiating change and turning their ideas into reality. The project is funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.