Sustainable Tourism - TICOS projects

We are delighted that a ski related project has now been validated by TICOS, meaning that future contributions will benefit something close to our hearts’. At the Refuge du Lac Blanc, in the Chamonix Valley, a diesel generator currently provides the light and heating. The Lac Blanc – Aiguilles Rouges Nature reserve is a beautiful area of the Mont Blanc region, popular with skiers and walkers alike. The aim of the TICOS project TP063 is to replace the diesel generator with a hydro-electric power plant, replacing the old, inefficient and dirty power source with a modern, clean hydro system.

For the Seasons 07/08 & 08/09 we collected our client's carbon offset contributions, and while we were waiting for a specific ski related project to be set up, we put these contributions to a TICOS project that was ready for funding: we chose the Engine Conversion Boat project (TP008):

The lower Danube region is recognised as a place of global ecological importance, truly 'Europe's subtropical zone'. It holds the largest complex of wetlands, riverine forests and steppes in Central Europe. There are over 1,000 species of flowers and more than 200 birds including pelicans, herons and eagles. This project will replace the existing inefficient, noisy and polluting two-stroke boat engines currently used for tours in the Danube delta and therefore improve water quality, reduce disturbance to the wildlife as well as improving visitor enjoyment and provide more reliable transportation.

The first stage of this project, which is now complete, involved the purchase of three new Yamaha 12 hp four-stroke engines – these have all been funded by Ski Beat’s contributions, and are now in use.   These have lower fuel consumption, are quieter and do not release oil into the water.

The second stage is to purchase one additional 12hp electric-powered motor from the USA and 6 x 12v deep-discharge batteries within Ukraine. The petrol-engines will take visitors from Vilkovo to the buffer zone of the Danube biosphere reserve, while the quiet and non-polluting electric motors are used within the reserve. Ski Beat’s contributions have covered the deposit payment for this boat.