Articles
A top combination: From road to rail
It is technically and politically possible to shift freight traffic through the Alps onto rail. The AlpInnoCT project shows how it could work.
Point of view: Equal opportunities for trains and trucks!
224 million tonnes of goods rolled through the Alps last year, a new record – more than two thirds of it on trucks. To decrease the pressure on nature and humans along the transit axes, railways and roads have be on the same level playing field, says Jakob Dietachmair, Project Manager at CIPRA International.
Solemn vigils for dying glaciers
Many Alpine glaciers have already disappeared due to global warming. In September 2019, vigils in Italy and Switzerland drew attention to this fact.
Youth demonstrates for Climate- and Alpine Protection
Hundreds of thousands of school students across the Alps went on strike at the end of September. They demanded appropriate action be taken for climate protection across the Alps. CIPRA supported the call together with participants from Youth Alpine Interrail.
A Landscape of Ideas
What does the future of the mountainous regions look like? Young people from all over the Alps sought answers in the CIPRA “Living Labs” project – on joint excursions, in workshops and through discussions on the topic of landscape.
Starting signal for the Alpine Ticket
In summer, 100 young people are travelling sustainably through the Alps with the “Youth Alpine Interrail”. At the beginning of June they met for a kick-off in Feldkirch, Austria and forged travel plans together.
Cultural laboratory Alps
Screeching saws, purring guitars, sizzling pans – that’s the sound of culture in the Alps. The CIPRA Annual Symposium on 25 and 26 October in Altdorf, Switzerland will focus on the impact of culture and how it can contribute to sustainable development.
Déjà-vu: Winter Olympic Games in Italy
Twenty years after the 2006 Games in Turin, the 2026 Winter Olympics return to the Italian Alps. The venues are jubilant and expectations are high. But a look at past games warns us to be cautious, because all too often they have merely left behind debts and ruined buildings.
Making politics with fire
From the Trift Glacier in Switzerland to the Vrsič Pass in Slovenia, around 30 “Fires in the Alps” will burn across the Alpine peaks on 10 August 2019. People from all Alpine countries are thus setting a common sign for living waters and the preservation of the natural and cultural heritage of the Alps.
Rethinking spaces
A picnic at a construction site, the rescue of undeveloped land and the conversion of an old barracks: three examples that rethink spatial planning in the Alps.
“There's no other way”
As a minister, 55-year-old Slovenian Alenka Smerkolj has already drawn up a strategy for Slovenia's sustainable development. As Secretary General of the Alpine Convention, she now intends to continue along this path.
For visitors and for locals
What is a good life in the Alps? How can tourism be reshaped? CIPRA International has dedicated its 2018 Annual Report to both local residents and visitors to the Alps and, under the motto “Visitors and residents”, has illustrated how tourism and quality of life can be compatible.
Point of view: Europe and its Alps
The fundamental question facing the direct elections to the European Parliament in May 2019 is: hat is the outlook – in Europe and in the Alps – for democracy and “good governance”? Erwin Rothgang, Vice-President of CIPRA International, argues for new forms of co-operation.
Creative use of vacancies
In order to revive vacant areas and buildings, four Alpine towns have joined forces in the "Tour des Villes" project. Mutual and cross-border exchange of knowledge and ideas were in the foreground during the duration of the project.
Networking sustainable tourism
At the suggestion of CIPRA, international specialists from every Alpine country have developed a job profile aimed at networking sustainable tourism approaches.
The future of the Alps begins now
What will the Alps of tomorrow look like? This question and political demands for the XV Alpine Conference lay at the heart of the “AlpWeek Intermezzo” held at the beginning of April in Innsbruck, Austria.
From archives to houses of the present
Alpine museums are about more than just wooden skis, farmhouse trunks and old photos. They preserve, exhort or inspire us – and thus have a vital role in society.
No landscape to be seen
Increasing demands for use are putting the Alpine landscape under ever more pressure. The “Urban Sprawl Initiative” is an attempt by environmentalists in Switzerland to reverse the trend. The aim is to curb the marketisation of the landscape.
Point of view: Don’t mess with our future!
The climate crisis is a reality – and it is by no means the only environmental problem looming. Luisa Deubzer of the CIPRA Youth Advisory Council calls for a rethinking on the part of society. In late November 2018 the 24-year-old gave a fiery speech before politicians and young people at the Eusalp Forum in Innsbruck, Austria.
What the landscape tells us
How do we perceive changes in the landscape? Why do we feel more closely connected to some places than others? These questions are raised by CIPRA with «Re-Imagine Alps», its new interactive map of the region.
Sustainable Tourism: Who will do the job?
There is no shortage of ideas when it comes to sustainable tourism in the Alps. But who will take charge of networking these ideas? In early November CIPRA International invited experts from all the Alpine countries to attend a workshop in Innsbruck, Austria in order to jointly develop a job profile.
Youth participation is a must-have – not a nice-to-have
More youth participation in the Alps! This was the plea made by the GaYA Conference in Chambéry, France, to politicians and policymakers in the Alpine countries. The strength of feeling involved was illustrated by the participation of numerous young people and representatives from the spheres of politics and society.
Three workshops for sustainable mobility
Ideas for cross-border co-operation, the future of the Veynes railway and a toolbox for sustainable commuting: three projects from the Alps that serve as an inspiration for more sustainable mobility.
Ecosystems out of balance
Storms, drought, floods, mudslides and avalanches: many Alpine regions were affected by extreme natural events in 2018. The first measures are already in place to ensure better management.
The Alps as a climate laboratory
Without climate protection measures the average temperature in the Alps will increase by up to 4.5 degrees by 2050. New initiatives give rise to hope, with the latest United Nations climate report drawing further attention to the topic.
A cultural heritage to savour
How a cross-border project combines culinary delights with the Alpine heritage.
What nature provides
The international project AlpES is strengthening the importance of ecosystems and their services for the population of the Alps. The project team will be presenting its results on 21-22 November 2018 in Innsbruck, Austria.
Point of view: Burning with love, not hate
The climate crisis and nationalism are the two greatest threats of our time, says Kaspar Schuler, executive director of CIPRA International since June, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of «Fire across the Alps».
Youth taking action for the Alps
Calling for youth participation, engaging in Alpine policymaking, launching the first Youth Interrail Pass for the Alps: the CIPRA Youth Council is celebrating its fifth anniversary with an impressive record.