At the XVI Alpine Conference, held on 10 December 2020, Switzerland took over the presidency of the Alpine Convention from France. The Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE) has taken the lead and will focus on climate, sustainable transport and Alpine cities for the next two years. With projects and events, Switzerland is pursuing a five-point plan in cooperation with the other Alpine states and other partners: this includes cycle tourism, a joint climate lesson in June, sustainable building and renovation in the Alps, Alpine towns and modal shift policy. On the subject of modal shift and transit traffic, Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga announced improved coordination among the Alpine states. At the Alpine Conference, she also emphasised that the involvement of young people will play an important role: “When it comes to the climate, we have realised in recent years at the latest that this won’t work without the voices of young people.”

Switzerland’s chairmanship will end in autumn 2022 with a climate week, during which the work on this will be assessed and further climate actions launched.

Sources and further information:

www.are.admin.ch/are/de/home/internationale-zusammenarbeit/alpenkonvention/schweizer-vorsitz.html (de)