After the United-States in 2014 and New Zealand in 2016, the 4th Sustainable Summits conference will be held in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France from 12-14 June 2018.
A fundamental international meeting place to discuss the future of our high mountain regions:
> to boost awareness of the vulnerability of the high mountains, a common good for humanity,
> to define firm commitments to protect these exceptional areas.
For three days, land managers from high mountain areas, researchers, representatives from NGOs and non-profit organizations, outdoor companies, guides and mountaineers from around the world will share their knowledge and experience. They will propose solutions for the future of our high mountains.
3 days / 3 themes:
1. What role do high mountain areas play in today’s societies?
2. Climate change: the high mountains on the front line
3. Human activities in the high mountains: impacts and solutions.
Conference team:
Headed by the Petzl Foundation, various representatives of the mountain community have worked together to organize this 4th edition:
Chamonix, Espace Mont Blanc, the French national parks of Ecrins, Vanoise and Mercantour, Mountain Wilderness France and International, the French federation of alpine and mountaineering clubs (FFCAM), the international climbing and mountaineering federation (UIAA), the mountain territories and innovation laboratory (Labex ITEM) and the Bayard-Milan Group.
Registration is now open!
Capacity limited to 250 participants
Early-bird rates available until March 15th 2018: €190
Late registration rate after 15 March: €230
Attendees aged under 29 on 1 January 2018: €70
The conference registration fee includes access to all 3 days of the conference, open-air conferences in Montenvers (access by train), lunches at the Majestic Conference Center and the closing dinner on 14 June.
Click here to access the registration form.
35 speakers invited to debate, talk and share
Hailing from the Alpine arc and the mountain ranges of various countries (including the United States, New Zealand and Nepal), these speakers are glaciologists, research scientists specialising in high mountain environments and climate change, managers of national parks and mountaineers committed to protecting the high mountains: read their biographies here.
The following are already confirmed:
> Roger Robinson has been involved with clean climb efforts on Denali since 1975. Former mountaineering ranger for Denali National Park, he has constantly been incorporating his ideals for clean climbing and Leave No Trace principles into the Park’s mountaineering education program.
> Ellen Lapham, co-founded the Sustainable Summits Initiative with Roger Robinson. She received the David Brower Award for Conservation Leadership and as a Director, led the American Alpine Club’s Conservation Committee.
> Bernard Francou, geomorphologist and glaciologist. He directs the research centre at the Development Research Institute (IRD).
> Irène Alvarez, programme director and Brad Carlson, researcher, from the Chamonix research centre for alpine ecosystems (CREA Mont-Blanc).
> Sandrine de Chastellier, responsible for the visitor policy and developing tourism of the Ecrins national park.
> Ludovic Ravanel is a geomorphologist specializing in high-altitude mountainous environments and their evolution due to climate change.
> Luc Moreau, glaciologist. He is an associate member of the CNRS Environment and Dynamics of Mountainous Areas laboratory (EDYTEM).
