Studies at Chamonix have determined that the average temperature in the famous French resort has risen by 1.5 degrees in the past century and the resort is actively seeking to do its bit to combat climate change.

“Mythical mountains, majestic glaciers, exceptional fauna and flora; the inhabitants of the Chamonix valley are conscious of the extreme beauty of their environment which attracts visitors from all over the world. But this beauty is fragile. The melting of the glaciers, visible to the naked eye, is confirmed by local scientific data.” says a resort statement.

Chamonix has been rolling out a local Energy Plan for several years and the process is on going. Initiatives being considered or already undertaken include lighter traffic initiatives and communal wood burning heating systems. As part of it, the resort is highlighting the need for everyone to reduce their personal impact on the environment and is organising workshops to help people reach that goal.

The resort reports that daily activities of each French citizen leads to seven tons of CO2 emissions per person (compared to two tons/year for a Chinese and 20 tons/year for an American). The planet can naturally recycle 11 billion tons of CO2/year, which means to each person on the planet needs to generate 1.8 tons of CO2 or less per year.

www.chamonix.com