Driving eco-social transformation in the Alpine region

From common goods and eco-friendly building materials to knowledge of avalanches, weather, flora and fauna: in the Alpine region, traditional practices and local knowledge contribute to sustainable ways of life. Global challenges such as the climate crisis require innovative solutions that build on these traditions rather than replacing them. The “Alpine Changemaker Network” project is creating a network that respects local traditions and combines them with modern approaches to ecological and social resilience. “We connect and support people with unconventional, bold ideas to make the Alpine region more socially and ecologically resilient. At the same time, we share these ideas widely to reach and inspire more people”, explains CIPRA project manager Marion Ebster-Kreuzer.

Project launch with prototypes

The project partners are small arts, cultural and educational organisations from the Alpine region that draw on local traditions and develop innovative prototypes: OpenSpace Innsbruck, Lungomare, BASIS Vinschgau Venosta, La Foresta and BAU. The extended network includes Somalgors74, the Bavarian Academy for Nature Conservation and Landscape Management (ANL), the Centre for Mental Health in Rovereto and the Alto Mare cooperative from Silandro. The development phases for the creation of four prototypes are already underway. One of these is the “Fiumicina”, an open-air kitchen by the river where food provision is no longer seen as a purely private act of consumption, but as a communal activity. Another highlight is the first “Assembly” at the end of May 2026, which will address the opportunities and challenges of cultural work in mountain regions. The project is scheduled to run for three years and is funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme.