SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT LA CLUSAZ
In the face of climate change, La Clusaz is committed to doing its part and transforming its model. The objective: to preserve the ability of future generations to flourish in this exceptional territory.
La Clusaz is a village where for more than a century, our elders have managed to find the subtle balance between economic development and sustainable development! If today La Clusaz perfectly represents the imagination of the mountain village of the Alps with preserved spaces, a traditional and authentic habitat, a dynamic agriculture, a diversified economy, all in an exceptional setting, it is thanks to these pioneers. Today, we wish to pursue these commitments in a responsible tourism to leave to our children, a village where it is good to live, work and live.
This ambitious and necessary vision is being built now. All together.
LA CLUSAZ’S 4 MAIN AREAS OF WORK:
- Reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
- Securing our drinking water resources.
- Diversify our offer of leisure activities and experiences throughout the year.
- Advocate an economy of the best, not the most.
These 4 pillars are very important to us. They guide our choices, but also our refusals when we feel it is better to slow down and change course than to run into the wall. This is why we recently gave up on a New Tourist Unit project that would have too much impact with the arrival of a Club Med on our territory.
We are convinced that being independent is a strength to remain free to go where we want, while respecting where we come from.
PRIORITY ACTIONS
In terms of the fight against climate change, our priority actions target transportation and building energy. Why? Because these are the 2 main causes of greenhouse gas emissions in La Clusaz… but also in France. It’s not just about us! The emissions are local, but their impact on the climate is global.
- As far as transportation is concerned, we need to increase the offer of low-carbon, credible and reliable alternatives in order to reduce the share and progressively replace the individual car to reach La Clusaz. You, our customers and residents, will play a central role in making this new form of mobility a success. Skiing and mountain biking may be individual sports, but we will have to work together!
- As for the buildings and our chalets, a battle plan against fossil fuels is being put in place. Fossil fuels emit a lot of CO² when burned in a boiler to heat our homes. The transition must be based on decarbonized French and renewable electricity, and on improving the energy performance of our buildings. This is the fastest and most obvious solution. For example, for our municipal swimming pool, we have just installed a heat pump to divide our emissions by 4 each year.
A LONG-TERM VISION
“Doing Our Part” means taking part in this global struggle that will condition the lives of future generations for centuries to come. How will we live in La Clusaz in 50 or 100 years? It’s hard to say.
What we are sure of is that the choices we make now can largely influence this future.
- First of all, securing access to water is an essential point, especially in a context where droughts are expected to become more frequent. A new hill reservoir is therefore being planned. In the long term, it will be 100% dedicated to a drinking water supply. In the short term, it will allow skiing to finance the diversification of our tourist economy.
- Secondly, we love skiing and its world, this discipline is an integral part of the history and heritage of La Clusaz. But the rise in temperatures will continue to increase and this activity will be threatened in the decades to come. This is a reality that we must accept in order to transform it into an opportunity. We have the potential to propose an annualized offer that places the mountain as a first choice tourist destination. The possibilities are numerous as the themes are so varied: nature, outdoor activities, the art of living in the mountains, biodiversity, agriculture, gastronomy, etc. Thus, our ski lifts will become a means of access to the various sites of discovery and activities spread over the territory.
Travelling is, and will remain, a need for humanity. Thus, beyond the search for activities and leisure, travel and vacations also respond to a need for curiosity, development, knowledge and sharing with others: in fact, deeply natural and instinctive needs for meaning. At La Clusaz, we are convinced that we have the capacity, the history, the traditions and the people to respond more than anywhere else to these new expectations which will accelerate in the coming years.
Our commitments will be translated over time, step by step, because the transition and transformation can only be done gradually and with funding. In 2021, we will carry out a carbon assessment, a mobility study, a master plan on tourism diversification and an environmental observatory. Being transparent and knowing where we are starting from is essential to carry out concrete and targeted actions in the short and medium term.
Well, we agree, there is work to do… But we prefer to think that it is the counterpart of a real vision of future demanding and responsible for La Clusaz.
Join us in this adventure!
