Juliet Kinsman, a sustainability editor, learns that the Tschuggen Collection is setting the standard for preserving nature.
Arosa, formerly Switzerland's best-kept skiing secret, has earned respect in the international arena as a result of the Tschuggen Collection's efforts to raise awareness of climate change and to demonstrate the need for greater environmental protection.
How one ski resort is changing the way we think about sustainable ski travel https://t.co/eFLRgqk7kO pic.twitter.com/jhBjlW0V6k
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High-drama vistas are present in every way in Arosa. First, a little town welcomes us to ride the hydro-powered Rhaetian Railway, which may be the cutest hill-climbing train with an unending screensaver-like view, up to its perch 550 meters above sea level. Second, the Tschuggen Collection, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, offers some compelling views on climate change that are in line with the most recent UN climate report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: we must act immediately because global warming is likely to cause temperatures to rise by 1.5C shortly.
This mountain resort in southeast Switzerland understands that if we don't address global warming, there won't be a ski season. The Tschuggen family has decided to commemorate their 100th anniversary by looking ahead rather than just looking back. They held several climate discussions and nature-awareness activations at their forward-thinking five-star hotel, which was dressed by Swiss designer Carlo Rampazzi, thanks to Dr. Götz Bechtolsheimer's leadership.
The three-day Race for Nature event at the Tschuggen Grand Hotel, which was attended by world-famous skiers and game-changing conservationists, shows how the power of hospitality can create magic by bringing together people who love these icy peaks and the organizations that are working hard to protect nature and raise awareness about how important this is. When you hear from environmental scientists on the ground how much these glaciers in the mountains of Graubünden are suffering from dramatic weather changes, it makes you want to better understand how we can help tackle the symptoms - for the sake of all corners of the planet. As this Swiss village's sunny south-facing slopes approach the end of the winter season, it all feels ridiculously picturesque. If only more hotel chains used milestone events as a reason to host a summit on climate solutions.
Following is a summary of what we discovered during our trip to Arosa and how the Tschuggen Collection is adapting to the changing environment.
A full room of the Tschuggen Grand Hotel is devoted to guests' stories of sustainability and climate-friendly endeavors. In a type of glass-walled gallery near the award-winning spa, their collaboration with the non-profit My Climate—which assists hotels in measuring and reducing their carbon footprint—comes to life as a little display of environmental solutions. A wonderful method to show visitors how and why they are on a greener road is to walk them through their strategies for addressing everything from energy and water usage to waste management, transportation, and procurement, and to explain precisely how, why, and where they offset to compensate for their emissions. Due to investments made through My Climate in projects like the wetting and wilding of an upland moor in Sous-Martel-Dernier, Switzerland, which increases biodiversity, creates a more hospitable wildlife habitat, and helps level the water table, the hotel has declared itself to be a "climate neutral" since 2019. Additionally, guests are welcome to credit their stays. You can see that the team members truly live and breathe this concept since they all receive thorough training on environmental preservation.
The Valsana Hotel & Apartments invented an 'ice battery' as a green energy technology. You'll be astonished to discover that learning about their ingenious geothermal and heat recovery system in the cellar is a surprisingly engaging narrative in environmentally friendly power if you stay at their 49-room boutique eco-hotel and participate in a Valsana Green Tour. As we learned how the engineering allows them to capture heat from wastewater, refrigeration from the nearby supermarket linked up to the same circuit, and a temperature-connected water tank, helps provide clean, renewable power instead of relying on fossil fuel sources, it was like stepping into a sci-fi film set of shiny silver tubes and flashing lights. Their goal is for all of their Arosa establishments to be entirely renewably powered by 2025. The main lesson from this was the prudence of companies using heat instead of an emissions-producing oil burn to produce energy. It is undoubtedly the best course of action when it comes to preventing the atmospheric addition of gases that warm the globe in this location which is particularly susceptible to temperature increases. Why aren't all ski areas of this mindset?
In Switzerland, taking the train rather than a car is very beneficial. One of the esteemed scientists who contributed to the reports that show evidence that human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, have warmed the climate by more than one-degree Celsius already, causing severe impacts, was Professor Reto Knutti, climate scientist and professor of climate physics at ETH Zurich's Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science. He revealed during his presentation in Arosa that private petrol-powered automobiles traveling up those inclines for fun are responsible for 26% of Switzerland's greenhouse gas emissions. Another benefit of taking the train is that 90 percent of the network is powered by hydropower, with Switzerland aiming to reach 100 percent by 2025.
Food with a Michelin star that is vegan is tasty. The formal fine-dining establishment at the Tschuggen Grand Hotel walked the talk when it presented a plant-focused meal that met La Brezza's twice-starred standards while leaving a noticeably daintier foodprint than if it had included dairy. If everyone adopted this healthier eating style and cut back on their intake of meat and animal products, not only would we significantly lower and slash greenhouse gas emissions from grazing to storage, but we would also preserve a significant amount of land from deforestation. The agricultural sector, which includes the production of animal feed, the breeding, and distribution of animals, as well as the storage and distribution of animal products, is one of the major emitters of greenhouse gases, as Professor Reto Knutti pointed out in his presentation. The key to making hospitality and us tourists more climate positive is to appreciate meals that employ lower-carbon components.
The key to addressing climate change is biodiversity. Every living thing is an essential piece in nature's scheme, from the brown bears in Arosa to the mountain gorillas in Africa. We were exposed to several organizations of Tschuggen's anniversary celebration, which highlighted the significance of their causes, particularly when it comes to maintaining all forms of life on Earth and restoring biodiversity everywhere. The world's oldest international animal conservation organization, Fauna & Flora International, is working hard to increase biodiversity since it is essential to a healthy ecosystem that naturally regulates carbon emissions. We appreciated hearing about how they promote science-based activities throughout the world and were reminded how every species has a place in our linked system. Well-known due to the long-standing backing of vice-president David Attenborough. The sea pangolin, a scaly-footed snake threatened by deep-sea mining, is a micro species that also speaks to the macro plan in addition to their newsworthy work in the Chuilexi Conservancy in Mozambique, which is home to the greatest concentrations of wildlife in Niassa facing terrifying levels of threat. The Bruno Manser Fund was present to promote awareness of Malaysia's tropical rainforests, while Aqua Viva spoke about their dedication to preserving and restoring aquatic environments. Visitors may take world-class walks in the summer and visit Switzerland's first bear refuge just outside their door to interact with Arosa's native animals.
Only 2% of all philanthropic donations made worldwide go towards protecting animals and the environment. Knowing this, we advise you to support hotels that go above and above to assist important fundraising efforts since there may not be much skiing available otherwise. We are grateful to Tschuggen Collection for being so open about how much we adore and value protecting the environment.
The Tschuggen Grand Hotel's winter season finishes at the beginning of April, while the summer season starts at the end of June and lasts until the beginning of September. In December, the ski season in Arosa resumes.
Read about; Ski destinations will remain open through the summer; here's how to get a discount.