The idea is simple, the impact is huge: Once a year, The Klosters Forum invites 80 experts to the Swiss Alps to look for solutions to pressing environmental problems. The unconventional setting and the diverse group of thinkers and doers ensure that the discussions go beyond the comfort zone and promote systemic change. Because the most powerful force we have to protect our natural habitat is our ability to work together. This message fits perfectly with the Toni Piëch Foundation, which is supporting The Klosters Forum in 2024/2025.
THE POWER OF COLLABORATION
The Klosters Forum community includes selected global leaders and personalities from science, business, politics and industry, as well as NGOs, creatives and experts from the world of sustainability. The location, a chalet on the Madrisa mountain, is perfectly chosen, as the dreamlike natural surroundings vividly illustrate what is at stake. Due to the relatively small nature of the Forum the participants develop a sense of kinship during workshops, dinners, and alpine activities creating an ideal environment to foster connections and effective relationships needed to find collaborative solutions. That makes it easier to think outside the box and find new ideas – interdisciplinary, pragmatic and without hierarchies.
A new thematic focus is chosen every two years. The Klosters Forum has already addressed topics such as plastic pollution, food systems and the regeneration of biodiversity. The construction industry, which plays a significant role in the climate and environmental emergency, is also an important aspect: In 2022 and 2023, the Klosters Forum successfully brought together managers, thinkers and construction experts to jointly develop new approaches for designing and redesigning a built environment that is in harmony with our natural environment and does not collide with it.
NEW MEANS OF URBAN RESILIENCE
In 2024/2025, The Klosters Forum is focusing on the question of how cities can meet environmental challenges. Cities, pivotal habitats for the growing global population, are confronted with new ecological dilemmas such as urban heat and biodiversity loss while also becoming increasingly susceptible to natural disasters. Implementing inclusive resilience strategies, such as nature-based solutions, regenerative constructions, digital twin technology or green and blue infrastructures, is crucial to mitigate these multifaceted issues. Cross-sector collaborations that nurture a symbiotic relationship among government entities, private sectors, and civil society are also essential. The Klosters Forum will convene global leaders to collaboratively navigate and create opportunities in pioneering resilient urban approaches. The Toni Piëch Foundation is supporting research and outreach activities of The Klosters Forum in 2024/2025 with CHF 30,000 – with the goal of enabling a just and regenerative urban transformation.