International Climate Protection Award of Arge Alp goes to Davos

Published: 21. October 2022

Davos aims to become Switzerland's first climate-neutral resort by 2030. This ambitious initiative has been awarded the international climate protection prize of the Arge Alp working group. 

This ambitious initiative has been awarded the international climate protection prize of the Arge Alp working group. The Arge Alp alliance, which unites cantons, regions and provinces from various Alpine countries, wants to jointly confront the major climate challenges. To coincide with the 50th anniversary of the network, the Tyrol awarded a climate protection prize in three categories in its year as chair. After a pre-selection of a total of 71 submitted projects, an international jury of experts selected the best initiatives.

In the «Major Project» category, Reto Branschi, Director/CEO of the Davos Klosters destination and initiator of the project, accepted the prize for the ‘Davos 2030’ sustainability initiative. The joint approach convinced the jury. The jury was particularly impressed by how broadly based the climate initiative is in Davos: tourism businesses, guests and companies from trade and commerce, as well as the municipality, are all pulling in the same direction by feeding the Davos Climate Fund with voluntary contributions. The program enables the participating businesses to generate additional income, which on the one hand serves climate compensation and on the other hand may be used for operational climate protection measures. In addition, the participating businesses gain access to the «myclimate climate fund Davos». This climate fund is operated jointly by the tourism organisation, the municipality and the Swiss climate foundation, «myclimate.»

«This award honours and motivates us»
«This prestigious award honours us greatly and shows that our sustainability project, ‘Davos 2030,’ also gains international recognition. I am delighted for the entire tourist destination; it is additional motivation for all those involved to continue this project successfully,» says Reto Branschi. «We are very pleased that Davos’ forward-looking climate protection commitment has been honoured with the Arge-Alp Award. With this project and the creation of the ‘myclimate climate fund Davos,’ Davos is actively taking responsibility for climate-friendly tourism and is aware that a tourist resort in particular has a role model function in this,» says Stephen Neff, CEO of the myclimate foundation. «It is remarkable that all stakeholders are involved in this project and that measures for CO₂ reduction are being driven forward together on site. Because it is only this collaborative action that makes it possible to consistently meet the challenges of climate change,» adds Neff.

Davos shares the prize money of 10,000 Swiss francs with another large-scale project from Bavaria, which received the same number of points from the jury. The prize money is used to support innovative ideas and exemplary projects in the initial implementation phase. The prize was awarded in Innsbruck, during the 53rd Conference of Heads of Government, the supreme body of the Arge Alp working group.

How the «myclimate climate fund Davos» works 
The «myclimate climate fund Davos» enables guests and customers to voluntarily make an additional contribution to climate protection when they stay overnight, make a purchase or obtain a service. If this is paid, the company from which the service was purchased doubles the amount. The money goes into the service provider's own sustainability fund and can be used for ecological improvements in the company itself. Half of the customer contribution goes to climate protection projects in Graubünden, including a forest reforestation project in the Prättigau/Davos region. 35 percent of the customer contribution is earmarked for measures at the companies themselves to make the participating businesses more sustainable. The remainder, namely 15 percent, will benefit projects of the Davos Climate Fund that reduce CO₂ emissions in Davos. The latter is additionally funded with a substantial amount from the municipality and serves as a promotional tool for sustainable measures on site and at the participating businesses. In short: reducing CO₂ - locally and worldwide.