Climate change

Temperatures are increasing almost twice as quickly in the Alps as in the rest of the northern hemisphere. The temperature rise of almost +2 °C since the late 19^th century is already widely affecting the Alpine environment. We are seeing a reduction of the habitat of endemic animal and plant species, changes in water availability (including snow), stress on forests, as well as an increased risk and unpredictability of natural hazards. These changes have an impact on nearly all human activities.

Like everywhere else in Europe, transport and buildings are among the main greenhouse gas emitters. The Alpine Convention is addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation as an integrated, transversal topic. There are solutions to climate change that can contribute to a sustainable future and high quality of life in the Alps.

Protocols and Declarations

• Declaration of Innsbruck “Climate-neutral and climate-resilient Alps 2050” (2019)
• Declaration on Climate Change (2006)

Thematic Working Bodies

• Alpine Climate Board and its dedicated website alpineclimate2050.org

Selected Documents and Publications

• Good practices in the field of climate change education in Alpine schools(2024)
• Experiences and proposals for environmental education focusing on climate change in the Alps (2024)
• Recommendations on climate change education in the Alps (2024)
• Cross-sectoral energy governance. How cross-sectoral and integrated governance approaches can accelerate the transition towards climate-neutral and climate-resilient Alps (2024)
• Nature-based Solutions and their Governance Structures for Climate Action in the Alpine Region(2024) - also available in German – final report (2025)
• Climate Scenarios in Alpine Countries and Indications for Spatial Planning (2024)
• Climate Scenarios: Linking Climate Change and Spatial Planning (2024)
• Report on the Ecological Transition in Agriculture and Forestry, including a section on Peatland and Carbon Farming/Multifunctionality (2024)
• Stock-taking: An information source for further developing activities of the Alpine Climate Board (updates 2024, 2022, 2019)
• Closing the gap on climate action - Building new rope teams to support climate-neutral & resilient living in the Alps (2022)
• Climate Action Plan 2.0 of the Alpine Convention (2020), including the 30 implementation pathways
  • Graphical representation of the sixteen priority pathways and all 30 implementation pathways
• Action Programme for a Green Economy in the Alpine Region (2019)
• Climate-neutral and Climate-resilient Alps 2050 (2019)
• Resolutions by the 14^th Youth Parliament of the Alpine Convention (2019)
• 7^th Report on the State of the Alps: Natural Hazard Risk Governance (2019)
• Report “Facing droughts in the Alpine region. Experiences, approaches and common challenges” (2018)
• Climate change – how it affects the Alps and what we can do (2017)
• Multi-Annual Work Programme of the Alpine Conference 2017-2022 (2017)
• Towards renewable Alps (2017)
• Best practice examples for land use and nature conservation-compatible renewable energy projects in the Alps (2016) - available in German, French, Italian and Slovenian
• The Important Role of Ecological Connectivity for Adaptation to Climate Change Impacts in the Alps (2016)
• 6^th Report on the State of the Alps: Greening the economy in the Alpine region - summary and long version (2016)
• Alpine Signals 7: Guidelines for Climate Change Adaptation at the local level in the Alps (2014)
• Guidelines on local adaptation to climate change for water management and natural hazards in the Alps (2014)
• Joint Alpine-Carpathian Statement On Adaptation to Climate Change (2014)
• Statement on the value of Alpine forests and the Alpine Convention's Protocol on Mountain Forests in the framework of the international forestry policies beyond 2015 (2014)
• Alpine strategy for adaptation to climate change in the field of natural hazards (2013)
• Alpine Signals 6: Towards decarbonising the Alps (2011)
• Action Plan on Climate Change in the Alps (2009)
• Alpine Signals 5: Mitigation and adaptation to climate change in the Alpine space (2008)

Projects

• Workshop: Alpine glaciers in a changing climate (June 2025)
• HumanFactor (Alpine Space Programme)
• BeyondSnow (Alpine Space Programme) - Enhancing the Resilience of Alpine Space Snow Tourism Destinations and Communities to Climate Change (2022-2025)
• International conference ‘Schools for climate action in the Alps’ (28-29 September 2023): Results and presentations
• Webinar series of the Alpine Climate Board
  • Recording: Accelerating the transition to climate-neutral and climate-resilient Alps through cross-sectoral energy governance and follow-up (May 2025)
  • Thoughts on a Spatial Climate Plan for Alpine cities (November 2024)
  • “The energy transition and the ‘not in my backyard’ phenomenon” - follow-up (April 2024)
  • Permafrost thawing in the Alps (October 2023)
  • Climate action and lifestyle: Explaining and overcoming barriers to climate action (December 2022)
  • How will climate change unfold in the Alps – new insights of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report? (July 2022)
  • Implementation Pathways "Spatial Planning" of the Alpine Climate Board (August 2021)
  • Youth involvement in climate activities in the Alps (May 2021)
  • Financial options for the implementation of climate activities in the Alps (January 2021)
• ClimaHost - Climate Protection Award for Alpine hosts (2022 & 2018)
• Constructive Alps (since 2010)
• Climate Hour (5 June)
• Peer learning Workshop "Climate action in Alpine towns - How to?" (18 June 2021)
• ClimCards – Alpine climate in your hands! card game (2019)
• Alpine Partnership for Local Climate Action - ALPACA (since 2018), organiser of the online Conference on Climate Communication (30 June / 1 July 2020)
• Alpine Convention Green Events (since 2017)
• GoApply (Alpine Space Programme) - multidimensional governance of climate change adaptation in policy-making and practice (2016-2019)
• Alpen-Forum-Innsbruck on climate change and natural hazards, energy, tourism, health, agriculture, and water (2015-2017) - available in German
• We are Alps Tour 2015
• C3-Alps (Alpine Space Programme) - Capitalising Climate Change Knowledge for Adaptation in the Alpine Space (2012-2014)
• Virtual Alpine Observatory (since 2012)