Climate and environmental protection
Committed to fighting climate change!
Andermatt lies embedded in the unique landscape of the Ursern Valley. We want to protect this. With measures in the areas of Energy, Outdoor, Mobility, Real Estate, and Gastronomy, Andermatt Swiss Alps is committed to protecting nature and mitigating climate change. This is because we want a liveable future for all.
The Andermatt Swiss Alps Group is committed to pristine nature and the reduction of CO₂ emissions. In this way, we are seeking to halt climate change. In collaboration with POW Switzerland, we have implemented a variety of environmental and climate protection measures in recent years. These are being extended and expanded on a continual basis.
Energy
The Andermatt Swiss Alps properties are powered with 100% renewable energy from the Gotthard region, which is purchased from the Ursern Power Station (EWU). EWU has four hydroelectric power stations of its own and four wind turbines on Gütsch. The wind turbines produce around one million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, and the hydroelectric power stations 30 million.
Outdoor
All lifts and gondolas of the cableways operate using 100% renewable energy. On the Andermatt side, the electricity comes from the Ursern Power Station and on the Sedrun side, from Energia Alpina. The water used for making snow is mostly drawn from the Oberalpsee. On Gemsstock, the water comes from the streams on the mountain – to which it returns after the ski season.
Mobility
Andermatt Responsible offers new mobility solutions for travel to the holiday region. This reduces emissions that are created through motorised individual transportation. Therefore, in winter special Andermatt Ski Express coaches travel on a regular schedule from urban centres to Andermatt. The Südostbahn’s Treno Gottardo brings guests from Basel, Lucerne and Zurich to Göschenen conveniently and without needing to change trains. In Andermatt, free local buses are in operation – including an electric bus. This saves over 200 tonnes of CO₂ when guests travel to and from the area.
Real Estate
All Andermatt Swiss Alps buildings in the village quarter of Andermatt Reuss, the hotels, and the golf clubhouse are heated in a climate-neutral manner using district heating from the Göschenen heating plant. The heat is generated with wood from the region and Ticino, as well as with waste heat from armasuisse. In addition, Andermatt Swiss Alps buildings were constructed so as to meet the Minergie standard, which ensures high thermal insulation and thus low energy consumption. The high density of the village quarter of Reuss means that very little open land was developed.
Gastronomy
The Mountain Food catering operations have reduced the use of plastic packaging to a minimum. They also no longer offer beverages in PET bottles on the mountain. The local dishes on offer bear the label “KM Zero”. In addition, there are a greater number of vegetarian options on the menu. In order to keep transportation distances to a minimum, Mountain Food operates in own facilities in Andermatt for making chocolate and bread.
Birds and insects on the golf course
Dragonflies
A dragonfly count in 2020 on the grounds of the golf course revealed a total of 12 species, a surprising amount of diversity. They include the black darter and the common damselfly, which are potentially endangered in Switzerland.
Butterflies
Owing to the large areas for flora and fauna protection, 56 different butterfly species live on the golf course, 10 of which are classified as endangered in Switzerland. According to the 2021 count, butterfly diversity is encouragingly high.
Birds
Birds feel very at home on the grounds of the golf course. That was the upshot of the monitoring conducted in 2019 by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in Sempach. Encouragingly, more and more whinchats are living there, a species that is severely under pressure and is rarely found in the Central Plateau region anymore.
