Under the motto "Climate protection knows no borders and no competition," four leading mountaineering schools from Germany, Switzerland, and Italy have joined forces to form the "Climate Rope Team." The initiative aims to ensure that mountaineering will still be possible in 30 years.
Climate change and tourism
Tourism is a key factor when it comes to climate change: In 2019, the industry accounted for approximately 8,8% of global greenhouse gas emissions – a share that is expected to continue rising given the sector's steady growth. Thus, tourism not only contributes significantly to climate change but is also increasingly feeling its effects through extreme weather events and changing environmental conditions.
The impact on alpine tourism is significant, especially on winter sports. Snow reliability is declining, increasingly mild winters are endangering existing ski resorts, and summer tourism is also facing more extreme weather and ecological changes. At the same time, natural hazards such as rockfalls, landslides, floods, and glacier collapses are increasing, making hiking and mountaineering more dangerous. This is precisely where the "Climate Rope Team" comes in.
We want to be able to continue mountaineering in 30 years, because mountaineering is at the core of what we do. To achieve this goal responsibly, we have established clear principles and measures.
Statement by the climate rope team on their website
The participating schools – Globo Alpin, Alpine Worlds, Mountain + Valley and Altitude fever – are setting an example in the outdoor industry: Instead of competitive thinking, the focus is now on joint action against climate change. The collaboration is based on eight clear core commitments, ranging from carbon footprints and educational work to more sustainable travel offerings.
As a mountain guide, I see daily how our environment is changing. We can no longer just observe; we must act. The Climate Rope Team is our shared path to taking responsibility – without a raised finger, but with a clear stance.
Hans Honold, state-certified mountain and ski guide and spokesperson for the Climate Rope Association.
Perceiving product responsibility
The climate-friendly travel agency consciously assumes product responsibility by designing its travel offerings with the greatest possible resource efficiency. This includes limiting air travel to a maximum of 20% of the portfolio, mandatory minimum stays depending on the distance, avoiding heli-skiing and luxury accommodations, and transparent CO₂ disclosures. All offerings are aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
The initiative also places emphasis on fair pay for guides and Sherpas as well as promoting local culture and economy.
CO₂ balances, clear climate standards and responsibility
The climate rope team calculates its CO₂ emissions according to a uniform, certified standard based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol – both at the company and product level. This uses a myclimate-certified data standard with over 100 tourism-related emission factors.
Air travel is fully included in the footprint. For land-based tours, the meeting and departure points are considered the footprint limits. To avoid emissions, guides stay longer on long-distance tours; some partners, such as Höhenfieber, forgo air travel altogether. All unavoidable emissions are offset through offsetting measures.
The climate rope team also assumes responsibility for all unavoidable CO₂ emissions from the official start of the trip. While guests are responsible for their own individual travel arrangements, they are actively supported with information on environmentally friendly mobility and possible offsetting options. Depending on the mountaineering school, CO₂ offsetting can be booked as an option or is already included in the price.
Education, communication and transparency
The Klimaseilschaft (climate rope team) is also committed to climate education: Guides and staff are regularly trained to act as "climate ambassadors" and share their knowledge with guests. For example, the Höhenfieber mountain school regularly invites permafrost researcher Jérémie Gentizon to its meetings to promote direct knowledge transfer. Globo Alpin, meanwhile, starts with the KlimaWissen (Climate Knowledge) educational project, which targets preschool children.
All partners also publish a transparent climate report annually to openly disclose progress and emissions.
Joint commitment in Uganda
In addition to local initiatives, the mountain schools jointly support the climate project "Smallholders Reforest Forests in Uganda" (myclimate project number #7181). The amount of support is calculated based on the number of trips booked and the associated emissions.
A network instead of individual fighters
The Klimaseilschaft sees itself as a learning organization that actively shares knowledge – also with other companies in the industry. "Climate protection knows no competition," the partners emphasize as their guiding principle.
The goal: not only to improve yourself, but also to inspire others.
With these core commitments, we want to ensure that we do our best to combat climate change
Anna Brugger from Globo Alpin
A common goal: more conscious behavior on the mountain
With the Climate Rope Team, the four mountain schools are demonstrating that sustainable mountain tourism is not only possible, but necessary, and that cooperation can be the key to success. Jointly developing measures that reduce the carbon footprint of mountain sports and promote dialogue on climate issues can serve as a good model for mountain tourism.
The Klimaseilschaft sees itself as a learning network that consistently adapts existing solutions and explores new approaches. It relies on transparency, measurable goals, and the motivation to inspire other companies in the outdoor industry to make their own contributions.
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Credits: Cover photo One More Agency // Dennis Ehrer
Pure greenwashing. A glance at the website of, for example, Alpine Welten, shows trips to the South Pole and ski tours all over the world. Bergundtal is also back to offering quick trips to Aconcagua… The 7802 kg of CO2 per person for Mount Vinson are then quickly offset with a carbon offset certificate, and everything is fine… The guides are trained as if they didn't already know this…
There are simply some services that don't need to be offered; that would be real climate protection. These token gestures to ease one's conscience help no one and aren't necessary. The whole thing is a terrible marketing ploy.
It's a shame that LACRUX and Gipfelbuch simply copied the article like that.