“myclimate climate fund Davos” promotes first projects

Published: 27. July 2023

guests, customers, businesses, and the community are collectively contributing to the "myclimate Davos Climate Fund" for this purpose. Now, the first financial resources are being made available to support four ecologically sustainable projects by companies and associations in Davos.

“We want to reduce the CO2 emissions on-site as much as possible. With contributions from the climate fund, we can now support initial projects in Davos,” says Reto Branschi, CEO/Director of Destination Davos Klosters and the initiator of the project. Together with Davos Landammann Philipp Wilhelm and Stephen Neff, CEO of the “myclimate” foundation, he is part of the steering committee for the climate project “Davos 2030.” The committee has approved the first funding applications, resulting in a total disbursement of 83,500 Swiss francs. Using the funds from the “myclimate Davos Climate Fund,” companies and associations will invest in facilities and measures to make their processes and products more sustainable.

HC Davos Aims to Reduce CO² emissions from Fan Travel
Two of the supported projects are being implemented by HC Davos (HCD), which is also participating in the Davos Climate Initiative. The record champion is introducing a new waste management concept and reusable cups at the Spengler Cup, and they also aim to improve fan mobility. Fan travel accounts for up to 70 percent of the event's CO2 emissions, with only 6.8 percent of spectators arriving by train and the majority, 50 percent, traveling by car. In collaboration with the Rhaetian Railway, an additional train will be introduced in the upcoming season to ensure transportation back home even after overtime. Another train from Landquart will wait for the last train from Davos to take fans to the larger regions of Zurich and St. Gallen. The HCD project receives a one-time seed funding from the climate fund, which reduces the carbon footprint of the entire holiday destination.

Hotel Project and Food Waste Initiative supportedT
The Grischa hotel is implementing a photovoltaic system to cover part of its electricity consumption. This aligns with the goals of the community of Davos, as Landammann Philipp Wilhelm emphasises, “It’s great to see that the joint project is gaining momentum. This takes us another step closer to achieving the central legislative goal of establishing our tourism on a sustainable basis.” As for the second project, “Save our Food Davos” (SoF), the association aims to reduce food waste in Davos. Over the past four years, they have already saved 140 tons of food.

CO² reduction in Davos itself 
The funds of the “myclimate Davos Climate Fund” come from participating businesses, guests, customers, and the Davos community, which contributes a quarter of a million Swiss francs annually. The total volume of the “myclimate Davos Climate Fund" is available to participating businesses to implement CO²-reducing measures in Davos. Stephen Neff, CEO of “myclimate,” states, “In this sense, as many local projects as possible should be implemented in Davos businesses to reduce CO² emissions. To support the stakeholders in this process, the funding instrument, 'myclimate Davos Climate Fund,' was established. The myclimate foundation is pleased that suitable measures can now be co-financed with contributions from this fund for the first time. Looking ahead, the climate fund is expected to gain more reach and have even greater local impact in Davos.” Further information about the functioning of the fund, participating businesses, and associated projects, can be found on the Davos 2030 portal. Note: Projects from participating parties can be submitted for review at any time. The “myclimate Davos Climate Fund” is also open to all businesses and associations in Davos.