Political positions of CIPRA International
Schaan Memorandum on the Future in the Alps
The future belongs to those who shape it. In the Alps countless initiatives involving thousands of activists are working to do just that. Yet many are unaware of the fact that elsewhere other people are working on precisely the same problems as they are. This is where the Future in the Alps, a project launched by CIPRA, the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps, comes into play. The scope of the project is to collect practical experience throughout the Alps, classify it and make it available to those who need it. It consists of a phase of collating knowledge and good projects, called alpKnowhow, a phase of processing and disseminating it, called alpService, and an implementation phase, called alpPerformance. CIPRA itself is not a research body, nor is it an educational institution; it is a non-governmental organisation, so it is mainly concerned with the questions of what the results of alpKnowhow mean politically and what demands can be derived from these results. To answer these questions CIPRA representatives from seven countries convened in Schaan/Liechtenstein on 8 and 9 December 2006. The demands and political conclusions on all topics are set out in the present Schaan Memorandum on the Future in the Alps.
Resolution: Climate Protection and Climate Change Adaptation Strategies
The Alpine region is particularly affected by global climate changes, many of which are the result of man’s impact. The Alps are a particularly sensitive region and are affected all the more by the forecast changes such as the rise in annual average temperatures, the increase in extreme meteorological events, summer droughts and melting glaciers. It is CIPRA’s view that climate change represents one of the 21st century’s greatest challenges. Given the above it calls upon the European Union, the bodies of the Alpine Convention, all the Alpine states, the federal provinces, regions and cantons as well as all governmental and non-governmental authorities .. to intensify their climate protection efforts in order to reduce the greenhouse effect; .. to draw up sustainable strategies for dealing with the growing repercussions of climate change.
Resolution on the role of local government and administration in sustainable development
At a conference on the Role of Local Governments and Administrations in Sustainable Development held in 2005, representatives of the mountain regions of Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Carpathians, the Alps, the Altai and Mongolia adopted a resolution with recommendations aimed at managers involved in the development of mountain areas. In it they called for an exchange of positive experience between different mountain regions, education in sustainable development as a condition for active participation, and also for research and the transfer of technology and methodology. The resolution also contains concrete recommendations on decentralisation and reliable dialogue structures as a basis for sustainable development, sustainable economic development, and the role of local governance in the management of natural resources. It also underscores the importance of information and the role of women in sustainable development. Finally it sets out conditions for the effectiveness of alliances and conventions.
News on Alpine Politics
Veronika Hribernik, CIPRA International
How much is nature worth?
Alpine pastures that provide us with food. Trees that provide a pleasant microclimate. Alpine landscapes that heal and touch. At the beginning of July 2021, around 100 participants from all Alpine countries discussed the benefits and value of nature in the Alpine region at CIPRA’s Annual Conference in Biella/I.
Caroline Begle, CIPRA International
New dual leadership for CIPRA
Bianca Elzenbaumer and Serena Arduino are the new Co-Presidents of CIPRA International. They succeed Katharina Conradin, who has been in office for almost seven years.
alpMedia
Swiss Chairmanship of the Alpine Convention
Switzerland has chaired the Alpine Convention since the end of 2020. One of the main topics for the next two years will be climate protection.
alpMedia
Freight transport belongs on the rails
EU transport ministers want to reach an agreement on the new Eurovignette Directive for transit traffic by the end of September 2020. CIPRA International and the "iMonitraf!" network are therefore calling for rapid agreement to ease the burden on humans and nature.
Standpunkte der CIPRA
alpMedia
CIPRA's point of view: Water on!
Austria's checklist for the building of hydroelectric power plants is technically sound, offering transparency for building permits, but no protection for ecologically intact waters.
alpMedia
CIPRA's point of view: An appeal for the mountains
Bigger, faster, further: not even the mountains are immune to this mantra of growth. CIPRA France is thus seeking visions for a sustainable future for both people and mountains.