Davos is setting out to be Switzerland's first climate-neutral holiday resort in 2030. Guests and companies will join forces with the “myclimate climate fund Davos”, which supports local climate projects. It is operated by the destination organization, the municipality and the myclimate foundation.
With the “Davos Climate 2030” project and the creation of the “myclimate climate fund Davos”, the world-famous holiday, leisure and conference resort of Davos is taking a big step towards sustainable tourism. On the initiative of the destination organization, tourism companies, event organizers and industry are participating in an initiative that reduces and compensates for the climate effects of their activities.
It is financed by tourism and commercial providers as well as their guests and customers with voluntary contributions. 50 percent of the funds raised in this way are invested in climate protection projects in Grisons, Switzerland and worldwide. 35 percent goes into measures with which the participating companies make their businesses more sustainable, and 15 percent flow into a novel “myclimate climate fund in Davos.”
This finances local projects that reduce CO2 emissions, at the same time strengthen local providers and businesses, conserve local resources and offer guests and customers high-quality experiences or products.
Guests demand sustainable thinking
“In alpine regions in particular, the effects of climate change are already being felt today. At the same time, awareness of sustainability and responsibility for the climate among our guests and our service providers has noticeably increased,” said Reto Branschi, Director/CEO of Destination Davos Klosters In front of the media on Tuesday. The destination organization, numerous companies and the municipality had been committed to sustainability for years.
“With the myclimate climate fund Davos, a vessel has now been created through which all providers and all guests can participate in the sustainable development of Davos.” The Climate Fund is equally fed by tourism providers, businesses and the voluntary contributions of guests in Davos, who also want to keep their stay climate-neutral: Companies that participate in the initiative make a small contribution of their turnover to the fund. Your guests or customers can also make a voluntary contribution.
Groundbreaking for tourism in the Alpine region
“The willingness to actively do something about climate protection is constantly growing,” said Kai Landwehr, media spokesperson for myclimate. “People often lack the concrete and easy opportunity to do this in everyday life. The initiative for a climate-neutral Davos creates such opportunities and is therefore groundbreaking for tourism as a whole.”
The destination organization in Davos is not alone with its sustainability initiative. As the largest employer and important provider of services, the municipality of Davos is driving forward sustainability projects in various areas, stressed Landamman Philipp Wilhelm: “The municipality of Davos has been running a specialist agency for the environment for over 30 years and is celebrating its 20th anniversary as an energy city this year. It is great that this commitment is now being expanded and intensified with the joint project “Davos Climate 2030”. This increased commitment to climate protection is particularly important for the mountain region.”
Another example of the integration of the sustainability strategy is the Davos hockey club, such as Jacqueline Kühne, Head of Project HC Davos Spengler Cup, at media orientation: “The Spengler Cup has been implementing sustainable measures for several years. We are now working on a cross-company strategy for the entire HC Davos. Participating in the DDO initiative gives us access to know-how and scientific support.”
That too World Economic Forum is a partner of the project. Since 2016, it has been offsetting the CO2 emissions of its annual meeting in Davos, including the trips of all participants. “For us, net zero means that we eliminate our emissions as much as possible and avoid them as much as possible. We offset all remaining emissions in projects that actively and measurably remove CO2 from the atmosphere,” explained Michele Mischler, Head of Swiss Public Affairs at the World Economic Forum.
The goal of making Davos a climate-neutral holiday and conference destination by 2030 is very ambitious, said Reto Branschi at the end. “But the time has come to translate words into action, and more and more of our companies and their guests and customers see it that way.” It now takes many very small and many big steps to make the goal come true.
The destination itself demonstrated a small step with the media conference: It was held in the climate-neutral conference center as a hybrid event on site and simultaneously on the Internet. Numerous media representatives were thus able to save themselves the trip.
Background material to download
Media conference participants provided background material. It can be downloaded from the Davos Klosters destination website.
personals
Reto Branschi
CEO Destination Davos Klosters
Reto.Branschi@davos.ch
Kai Landwehr
myclimate media spokesperson
kai.landwehr@myclimate.org
Christian Gartmann supported the destination Davos Klosters and myclimate in the conception, organization and implementation of the media conference and in the preparation of media documents.