Energy production from renewable sources in Alpine protected areas; Conflicting interests and need for action as seen by protected areas management. eco.mont (Journal on Protected Mountain Areas Research)|eco.mont Vol. 3 No. 2 3 2|

With the growing demand for renewable energy, the conflict potential between energy production from renewable sources and maintaining protection targets is likely to increase. The study “Energy production from renewable sources in Alpine protected areas” examined the situation in Alpine parks today and the need for action from the viewpoint of park managements. Based on interviews with 21 Alpine protected areas in Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, the study shows the conflicts and the conflict potential as well as possible strategies. The interviews revealed that there is no remedy that applies to all parks. The need for action varies depending on the potential for conflict. Thus only some of the parks would prefer stricter rules, and energy targets or concepts are judged differently. Regardless of the path that a park chooses to follow, it will be unavoidable to deal with the issue. The study was devised by the Swiss Academy of Arts and Sciences (SAS) with the support of the Alpine Network of Protected Areas (ALPARC) and was funded by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). The report “Energy production from renewable sources in Alpine protected areas” has recently been published and can be downloaded on the internet. The following article summarizes the most important findings