The Austrian ski resort of Ischgl, the "Ibiza of the Alps", has so far modestly avoided the limelight. Recently it described itself as the "largest climate-neutral ski area in the Alps". Most of the ski lifts run on hydroelectric power, a valley station and a mountain restaurant use geothermal energy for heating, while snow groomers use GPS to measure the snow depth so that less artificial snow has to be made. The ski bus network is being expanded and thousands of trees have been planted in the valley. The ski resort buys its way out of the remaining CO2 emissions by sponsoring a reforestation project in Peru.

This raises questions: Is the gigantism of a ski resort with 239 kilometres of slopes and 45 lifts compatible with climate protection? Is greenwashing being practised here? Most of the emissions from skiing are caused by the journey to the resort. Does a 33 million euro "Parking Lounge" for 640 cars in the village centre fit into the picture of a "climate-neutral" ski resort? How does this go hand-in-hand with press conferences in Moscow and St. Petersburg so that thousands of Russian guests will board a plane for a few days of skiing and partying? Climate protection is a party playground: Ischgl still has to work on the credibility of its message.

Sources and further information:

www.tt.com/wirtschaft/standorttirol/16309644/saisonstart-in-ischgl-mit-neuen-baeumen-zum-klimaneutralen-skigebiet (de), www.faz.net/aktuell/reise/klimawandel-hat-der-wintersport-noch-eine-zukunft-16534026-p2.html (de), https://kurier.at/chronik/oesterreich/die-russen-sind-in-den-skigebieten-zurueck/239.483.357 (de), www.derstandard.at/story/2000113154680/wie-heimische-skigebiete-klimafreundlicher-werden-wollen (de), www.tt.com/panorama/verkehr/11706441/33-millionen-fuer-neue-parking-lounge-ischgl (de), https://video.lastampa.it/cuneo/con-l-aereo-sulle-piste-da-sci-l-insolito-ed-efficace-metodo-per-essere-il-primo-sugli-impianti/108785/108795 (it)