UIAA tackling mountainous task with new sustainability charter

For decades the conservation of mountain environments has been a key priority and concern for the organisation, proven by the foundation of its Mountain Protection Commission (MPC) in 1969.

The UIAA first published its Environmental Objectives and Guidelines in 2002 which it states have stood the test of time and still remain relevant.

However, as both climbing and mountaineering have seen considerable change in the last 20 years, the need to adapt to new sustainability challenges is becoming paramount.

Primarily these are issues such as the “triple planetary crisis” faced today on climate change, nature loss, and pollution.

As a result, MPC President Paul Kwakkenbos has helped to develop the UIAA’s recently released Sustainability Charter.

The core message of the Charter is how best the UIAA can address climate change, reduce impacts to the natural environment, reduce social impacts, and promote positive social change.

Kwakkenbos hopes that they can play a key contributing role in defining the UIAA’s strategic options for the next four-year cycle.

“Everything is now in place and this is clearly understood that this is the time for climate action,” Kwakkenbos tells Global Sustainable Sport.

“This is the reason why we have released this document now and we have already started engaging with the member federations on how to commit and how to start if they haven’t yet.

“We are also aiming to further develop the principle of sharing best practices.”

As part of the Sustainability Charter, the UIAA has committed to formulating an organisational climate policy within its strategic goals from 2025 to 2028.

The document is expected to guide upcoming measures that are aimed at certain goals, for example reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by the end of the decade.

It also states that adaptation actions are said to be critical for the organisation and its 94 member federations.

In order to address the changing needs, the UIAA is contemplating the development of publications, such as skills handbooks informing on risks associated with hazards in mountains in a changing climate.

Furthermore, content on climate change adaptation and skills training courses conducted or certified by the UIAA are also in the works, while simple measures are also encouraged by the body.

“Adaptation is really about creating better structures for mountain tourism,” says Kwakkenbos.

“This could be guiding people on certain routes to avoid them going on other trails which go through more fragile nature areas, for example.”

The UIAA is encouraging its member federations to devise their own sustainability policies to reduce their carbon footprints.

It has suggested that all members find a way of calculating their own emissions as a key starting point before adopting more specific measures.

The UIAA wants its members’ sustainability strategies to align with an overarching organisational statement to communities.

As a result, it is eager to offer help when formulating these plans.

“For sure, we at the UIAA are there to support the member federations in the best possible way,” says Kwakkenbos.

“We will provide them with best practices, tools, workshops and more to help them with their sustainability goals.”

Sharing key knowledge

Kwakkenbos is hopeful that the UIAA, its members, and the climbers and mountaineers associated with them can demonstrate a responsible mindset towards the sports and the promotion of human wellbeing in connection with nature.

One way of ensuring this viewpoint is shared has been identified through sharing knowledge, and so the UIAA is looking to cooperate with as many internal and external groups as possible.

“We are actively now looking to collaborate with the other commissions in the UIAA,” says Kwakkenbos.

“We have a youth commission, training commission, mountaineering commission, a medical commission, and quite a few other commissions.

“This topic of climate change and sustainability in general needs to be interwoven with some of their activities as well.

“In our training programme, we want to emphasise sustainability and climate change action.

“We can educate our youth with youth camps, so there are a couple of these elements where we want to take concrete action and educate people.”

Education is thought to be crucial to stop the mass littering seen at some climbing and mountaineering hotspots.

A Sherpa who leads exhibitions at Mount Everest has predicted that there could be as much as 40 to 50 tons of rubbish at South Col, which is the last camp before climbers make their attempt to reach the summit.

He says that the waste left there was mostly old tents, food packaging, oxygen bottles, and ropes.

“Education is key here again, so making people aware of what they take to the mountain they should bring it back too,” Kwakkenbos says.

The Sustainability Charter forms the core environmental work that the UIAA is going to focus on, but the body is also keeping a close eye on glaciers.

Glaciers form from the accumulation of snow over time which turns into ice before its weight eventually causes it to fall downhill.

Around 10% of land area on Earth is covered with glacial ice and next year they are set to be in the spotlight.

“We are very active in the UN’s International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation which is 2025,” Kwakkenbos says.

“We have a programme there to reach out and share practices and collaborate with quite a few other organisations as well.

“This is in order to highlight the need to protect glaciers because that is part of our DNA as well.”

Images: Henry Lim on Unsplash, Jonathan Ouimet on Unsplash, Lucas Canino on Unsplash

Exclusive paid-for news service for Members:

As part of the launch of the new GSS Network DataHub at the end of January, the GSS news service, which has grown to engage 18,000 registered readers in 2024, will become exclusively available to paid GSS Network members from Thursday, January 30, 2025, onwards. Existing recipients will have the option to seamlessly upgrade to the new premium service and access enriched content and deeper insights for the global sporting community, with the final free weekly newsletter delivered on Thursday, January 28.

To mark this new chapter, GSS is offering a 10% discount on all new Memberships that are registered before midnight CET on Wednesday, January 29.

Join the GSS Network before midnight on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, and claim your 10% discount using the code GSS2025 by clicking on this link.