© Tom Humpage
Chamonix Named Alpine Town of 2015
4th French city to be awarded this accolade out of 15 Alpine towns
It was announced last week that Chamonix has been awarded the title of "Alpine Town of 2015", thanks to its efforts to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions, and to create sustainable tourism through the launch of projects such as the Itinero tablets which help visitors discover the natural and cultural heritage of the valley.
Mayor, Eric Fournier, welcomed the announcement and told the press that it "rewards the efforts made by Chamonix over the last few years on its environmental policy, and motivates the team to continue to develop sustainable tourism in the valley".
Chamonix is the first commune in the Alps to have created a Territorial Energy climate plan, calling for reductions in CO2 and energy consumption, and is part of a joint committee which has set a 20% target for these reductions, as well as increasing its share of renewable energy by 20%.
During its year of holding the title "Alpine Town of 2015" (which it fought off 14 other Alpine towns for) Chamonix will also be celebrating its 150th anniversary of the Golden Age of Mountaineering, and will continue to plan its programme of responsible events.
