Ski resort launches ‘Last Day Pass’, each offsetting one tonne of CO2, slowing the melting process by 10 minutes.
Snow may be falling in Switzerland, but the fight to save its Vorab Glacier is heating up. Due to the current rate of rapid ice melt, the region’s Glacier is predicted to have disappeared entirely by 3rd April 2056.*
From 18 December 2020, visitors to the ski resort of LAAX can purchase the Last Day Pass, a biodegradable, wooden card produced locally in Laax, to offset carbon emissions and slow the melting of this ancient glacier.
All proceeds from the Last Day Pass will be used to offset CO2 by planting 5,000 – 6,000 indigenous trees, slowing down the melt and pushing back the last day of the Vorab Glacier. Each card sold will offset approximately 1 tonne of CO2, slowing the melt down by 10 minutes.
The card will be made available to the general public on 18 December 2020 for 80 CHF (£67).
Global warming has already had an affect on the region. Up until 1999, LAAX used to run a Summer Snowboard Camp on the glacier, which ran in mid-June. Nowadays, this is no longer possible due to the massive, premature melting of the snow, which sees the season ended in April in order to preserve the glacier.
Reto Fry, sustainability expert at LAAX said: “If the Vorab Glacier disappears altogether, it will affect more than just keen skiers; the local economy will suffer, and the ancient landscape will be irreparably damaged. It’s up to us as residents, as well as visitors to the region, to put a stop to unchecked climate change before it’s too late.”
The project aims to sell 500 passes to offset a total of 500 tonnes of CO2 during the winter season (that’s as heavy as four blue whales), as part of the region’s commitment to The Greenstyle Foundation, a regional climate protection organisation dedicated to saving the glacier for future generations and becoming the world’s first self-sustaining alpine destination through economically viable initiatives.
The Greenstyle initiative, launched by the Weisse Arena Gruppe which operates in the Flims Laax Falera region as well as the municipalities of Trin and Sagogn, is also funding further projects to protect the unique nature around the Vorab Glacier. It aims for the region’s entire energy requirements to be covered by 100% renewable energy, produced locally.
The Vorab Glacier is located near the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tectonic Arena Sardona, above the Swiss ski destination, LAAX. A highly regarded freestyle resort, with 224km of pistes, it paved the way for the freestyle movement; home to four snow parks with over 90 obstacles, LAAX also has the world’s largest half-pipe, at 200m in length.
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Notes to Editors:
- * Calculations by ETH Zurich: Limited Influence of Climate Change Mitigation on Short-Term Glacier Mass Loss, Nature Climate Change, VOL 8 (April 2018) pp.305–308
- *The Last Day Pass is a symbolic card that does not grant access to the ski slopes. Guests will receive a physical pass when buying the Last Day Pass and this pass can function as a keycard when a ticket is uploaded to it.
- Currency conversion correct as of 11.12.20
For further press information, please contact:
Arabella Halfhide | Hannah Carlisle
Rooster PR
T: +44 (0) 20 3440 8930
E: [email protected]
About LAAX, Switzerland
The region of Flims Laax Falera in the Swiss Alps, only 90 minutes by car from Zurich, is marketed under the brand LAAX. It stands for a unique lifestyle, a wide range of outdoor adventures and impresses with its breath-taking mountain landscape, characterised by natural phenomena. From hiking and biking in summer to skiing and snowboarding in winter – LAAX offers the ideal infrastructure embedded in a unique scenery.
For more information visit: https://www.laax.com/
