Climbing for Climate is an initiative, which reached in 2024 its 6th edition, managed by the RUS (Network of Universities for Sustainable Development) and the Italian Alpine Club CAI, involving a network of universities all around Italy for the organization of sport events happening open air and in the nature (mainly climbing, but also cycling, trail running, hiking) and other resident workshops (where the open air sport activity is not possible) to have a direct view and experience of the effect of climate changes in the nature.
Objectives:
- To use open-air sport activities as a tool to observe and reflect on environmental challenges and especially climate change
- To engage people in sport activities in the nature getting to know better their reality and surroundings and biodiversity
- To reinforce networking among organizations and universities all over the italian national territory through the cooperation towards a common goal
Description:
Climbing for Climate is an initiative held since 2019 from the RUS (Network of Universities for Sustainable Development) and the Italian Alpine Club CAI, uniting many universities (88 different ones are part of the network) and other entities in organizing activities to use sport and nature observation as a way to understand the effects of climate change.
Every year, a national event is organized (in 2024 it was happening climbing the melting icy mountains of Marmolada) to discover nature and discuss climate change effects in an evocative place which can help people to observe with their own eyes. At the same time, the different partners and members of the network organize different local activities involving the community, using open air sport activities (climbing, hiking, swimming, cycling, trail running, etc.) to facilitate the direct observation of the effect of the climate changeon the nature in the surrounding areas. Where such actions are not possible, the universities organize workshops and activities in their premises.
Impact and Results:
Several people took part in the activities organized by many universities all over Italy and raised awareness on the effects of climate change, both by participating in educational workshops and activities and directly observing the effect of this phenomenon on the environment in their area through climbing, cycling, trail, swimming and other sport activities.
It creates a deep networking among different universities and organizations all over the country, that work on using different outdoor sporting tools to work on climate change topics, facilitating through experiencial learning.
Conclusions and Suggestions for Youth Workers:
The possibility to observe with own eyes our nature, issues connected with it, and how it is changing and the quality of it is decreasing, in different context, and through engaging different activities, is definitely a tool which facilitates experiencial learning and the development of more consciousness, stimulating reflection and active participation.
Though organizing activities in many places in the country during the same period provides a larger visibility and the possibility to engage more people, it’s possible for different organizations to arrange actions depending on their local diversity, the opportunities offered by the local environment, and offer inputs for reflection on the diverse challenges through different sporting tools.
Links for reference:
https://reterus.it/climbing-for-climate-sesta-edizione/
https://asvis.it/cal/5810/climbing-for-climate
.