Vitalpin Awards To Best Climate Protection Projects In The Alps

The Vitalpin KlimaInvestment award ceremony took place in Tyrol for the first time - a promotional award for the protection of the Alpine region. Eleven nominees were honored from almost 40 applications. The four top places: The Allgäu destination Bad Hindelang Tourism won, the South Tyrolean Niedersteinhof farm came second and ex ae•quo third place went to the Innsbruck association re.paro – association for repair culture and the South Tyrolean ski region Carezza Dolomites consortium. The award ceremony was framed by a top-class panel discussion.

This year, for the first time, Vitalpin awarded a prize for sustainable projects in the field of environmental and climate protection as well as for sustainable management in the Alpine region. The Vitalpin KlimaInvestment initiative, which is supported by climate protection experts ClimatePartner, raised funds of around EUR 65,000. The sum came about through voluntary premium payments from companies and now benefits the implementation of sustainable projects in the Alpine region.

“The protection of the Alpine region will become increasingly important in the future. It was therefore important to us to use the initiative to support those who have already recognized this and are particularly committed to sustainability and climate protection," says Theresa Haid, Managing Director of Vitalpin. Jakob Sterlich, authorized officer of ClimatePartner Austria, about the initiative: "I am pleased that 40 applications have been received from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and South Tyrol. Numerous companies, associations and start-ups have seized the opportunity to give their projects even more attention.”

A top-class expert jury selects winners according to strict criteria

Sustainable mobility, energy efficiency, investment and use of renewable energies, carbon sequestration measures, measures to promote biodiversity and circular economy initiatives - these were the criteria used to evaluate the projects and determine the winning projects. A well-known jury selected the applications. The jury chairman and former EU Commissioner Dr. Franz Fischler on the winners: "It wasn't an easy decision given the large number of exciting projects, but I'm sure that we made the right decision with the four winners. They serve as true role models for all companies and associations that want to develop further in terms of environmental and climate protection.” The other members of the jury are Mag. Alice Schmidt (POW Science Alliance), Mag. Karin Huber-Heim (Circular Economy Forum), Dr. Ulrike Pröbstl-Haider (BOKU Vienna), Dr. Christian Baumgartner (CIPRA International), DI Hans-Jürgen Salmhofer (Federal Ministry for Climate Protection) and the former German professional ski racer Felix Neureuther. 

Although Neureuther was unable to attend the award ceremony in person due to scheduling reasons, he insisted on delivering a video message to the project submitters: “It is impressive to see this wealth of innovative projects. You are all doing an outstanding job, it is incredible what thoughts you have and what you do for sustainability in the Alps," says the former ski racer. 

Four big winning projects

The Allgäu destination Bad Hindelang Tourism, the South Tyrolean farm Niedersteinhof, the Innsbruck association re.paro - association for repair culture and the South Tyrolean ski region consortium Carezza Dolomites have prevailed with their concepts against the competitors. Bad Hindelang Tourism received prize money of 20,000 euros for the "EMMI-MOBIL" project. With this electrically operated dial-a-bus system, sustainable on-site mobility in the region is raised to a whole new level. “Of course I am very pleased and motivated that our project is among the four winners. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Bad Hindelang is one of the places with the best air quality in the world. In order for it to stay that way, we have to face the mobility revolution and commit and position ourselves seriously and credibly. With EMMI-MOBIL, we are driving forward the municipal climate and mobility turnaround based on our living space concept and are leading the way as a sustainable tourism location with a role model function," says Bad Hindelang's mayor Dr. Sabine Rodel.

In the project "Living, living, enjoying - energy self-sufficient and sustainable living space" of the Niedersteinhof in South Tyrol, sustainable management is used at all levels - whether through the energy supply using heat pumps or wind turbines, the purely regional procurement of materials and handicrafts, the use of their own hay and the Transport by e-cars or the protection of biodiversity. Vitalpin KlimaInvestment gave 15,000 euros for this. re.paro was happy about 4,500 euros. With the "ReparaturKulturCafé" in Innsbruck, the Tyrolean association has created a place where things can be repaired and therefore do not have to be thrown away - circular economy par excellence. The Carezza Dolomites consortium impressed with the concept "Living sustainability and putting it into practice" and also received 4,500 euros for it.

The seven other nominees:

• The tourism association Wilder Kaiser from Tirol with its mobility app Naturtrip Tirol – holiday without a car is finally easy
• The vegan restaurant "Guat, zEssen" from Tyrol with its own vegetable cultivation from permaculture
• The tour operator ASI Reisen from Tyrol with its CSR dashboard
• The Schmittenhöhebahn AG from Salzburg with their management concept to increase ecological diversity
• Seiser Alm Marketing from South Tyrol with the concept for investments in sustainability projects on the way to a climate-neutral ski area
• The FONTIS luxury spa lodge from South Tyrol with its holiday concept and the unique combination of sustainable construction, green spa, eco farming and outdoor active experiences.
• The Zeress restaurant from South Tyrol with its focus on regional and sustainable principles

They each received prizes of 3,000 euros.

The award ceremony was framed by a high-calibre discussion

The award ceremony was followed by a top-class discussion on the topic "Political guidelines for a sustainable development of tourism in the Alps: problem solvers or non-binding gravediggers?". The moderator of the evening, Isabella Krassnitzer, introduced her panel guests Prof. Dr. Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, environmental scientist and former member of the German Bundestag and co-president of the Club of Rome, Dr. Franz Fischler, former EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, Manfred Pinzger, former South Tyrolean Senator and President of the Hoteliers and Innkeepers Association, Marcus Caduff, Graubündner Government Councilor and Mario Gerber, Tyrolean Member of Parliament, through an exciting discussion.

At the beginning, Weizsäcker spoke with Krassnitzer about the limits of growth on a planet with finite deposits of resources. On the podium, experts from politics and tourism then complemented the views of the renowned environmental scientist and spoke about the different political and economic strategies of the individual regions. Tyrol and South Tyrol want to go in a similar and, above all, more sustainable direction with their newly developed concepts, the "Tyrol Way" and the "South Tyrolean State Tourism Development Concept". The Swiss canton of Graubünden is taking a somewhat different direction and is focusing on strengthening the international competitiveness of Graubünden tourism. Fischler emphasized that sustainability has not yet arrived on a broad scale and that there must be a transformation process. Despite different concepts, it was clear from the lively discussion that we must act as quickly as possible. The signposts are pointing in the direction of sustainability – action must now follow.