France/Contests, summer camps for young people... European initiatives around sustainable development are multiplying in the Alps

Since 2015, 48 regions from 7 countries have been united around a single European structure: the Alpine macro-regional strategy, or EUSALP. Thanks to this mechanism, local actors think about sustainable development of their territory and carry out joint actions for the 80 million inhabitants of the Alpine massifs. Here is an overview.

What do Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in France, Piedmont in Italy, Tyrol in Austria and northern Slovenia have in common? All these regions are part of the same area: the Alps. The local and regional actors who share this sumptuous mountain range joined together in 2015 in a single European program, called "EUSALP".

EUSALP is one of the four "macro-regional strategies" that the European Union has adopted. The other three concern the Danube, Baltic, Adriatic and Ionian Sea regions. A rather barbaric term? It simply means a framework of cooperation around a single large region. Also called "SUERA", the Alpine macro-regional strategy involves five EU member states and two non-EU countries. France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland and Liechtenstein are jointly defining their priorities for this large territory in the heart of the Old Continent and initiating joint projects.

Two competitions in the Alps

All these regions want to make the Alps a European model for renewable energy and energy efficiency. With this in mind, SUERA is organizing the EUSALP Energy Award. The competition is open to citizens, companies, city councils and NGOs and rewards best practices that contribute to the implementation of the energy transition in the Alps.

Several fields of action can be rewarded, such as initiatives to raise citizens' awareness or innovative financing models that support the local energy transition. Applications can be submitted until September 16. An international jury of experts will then select the best ideas.

The competition format is actually not new for EUSALP. Since 2018 and every year, the "Pitch your project" challenge is launched to young people in the region. The principle? Present a solid project for the sustainable development of the Alps. Participants have three minutes to convince the audience of their project or idea. The audience is then given two additional minutes to ask questions. Three prizes are awarded. Worth between 2,000 and 5,000 euros, they allow the winners to realize their projects.

You are between 16 and 25 years old and you live in the Alps? It is still possible to register for the "Pitch your project" competition for the 2022 edition. All you have to do is send in your idea before October 16! This year's four themes cover a wide range of areas: "How can we ensure that the Alpine region remains an attractive place to live?", "Strengthening intergenerational synergies", "Solutions to adapt to climate change" and "Green energy, energy efficiency and carbon neutrality".

Very different initiatives have been selected in the past. In 2020, a class from a Tyrolean school using activated carbon to reduce CO2 won first place. In 2021, young Italians defended an original virtual tourist map. Based on interviews with local residents, the map lists memories and emotions rather than traditional marked routes and historical monuments. The idea is that travelers can listen to the testimonies of locals through an audio guide. A more intimate vision of the Alps.

Source: touteleurope.fr