21.02.2021 ob 19:50
Deli članek
Cortina 2021, the World Championships launch a message to protect our mountains and our oceans

Cortina d’Ampezzo (BL), 21 February (MOREL) - The Cortina 2021 Ski World Championships are coming to an end, an edition that has put responsibility and sustainability among its top priorities. Working first and foremost with the local territory, but also collaborating with erstwhile initiatives in the realm of environmental and social protection, to ensure that the event gives rise to other projects in the future, beyond the World Championships. This is why Fondazione Cortina 2021 has created a network of different actors. This afternoon, to talk about the importance of protecting the mountains and the oceans, for our future and for generations to come, the meeting "Water between mountain and sea, two distant ecosystems, close together" was held, organized by Fondazione Cortina 2021 with the Municipality of Cortina d'Ampezzo, One Ocean Foundation, the Sole Cooperative and Federica Brignone with the "Liquid Trajectories" project.

 The meeting, moderated by Stefania Berbenni, was attended by Alessandro Benetton, President of Fondazione Cortina 2021, Riccardo Bonadeo, Vice President One Ocean Foundation, Paola Coletti, Councillor of the Municipality of Cortina d'Ampezzo, Susanna Sieff, Director of Sustainability of Fondazione Cortina 2021, Federica Brignone, ski champion and World Cup title holder.

"At the end of our journey, we wanted to launch a strong message in the year that the UN decade dedicated to oceans and mountains, opens - explains Alessandro Benetton -  Our Cortina, even if physically distant, is relevant because being part of a single ecosystem it also has important influences on the sea. Our behaviours have direct repercussions on our territory, and they indirectly affect others that seem apparently distant. For this reason, raising awareness and involving everyone, but especially the new generations, with dedicated educational experiences, becomes extremely relevant for a more aware and conscious future. With Cortina we aimed for the  "snowball effect". We all rowed in the same direction, both the public and the private sectors, demonstrating both our organisational capabilities and the beauty of our territory.  After a good start, this will bring results also in the future. I hope this is only the first step in a long growth process. We have created a model of teamwork that is also a model of sustainability, which can be useful for future events”.

"We have worked on sustainability and on reducing the environmental impact since the beginning of this great journey that led us to organize the Cortina 2021 World Championship. We have focused on amplifying the social impact on the territory, putting in place many projects that respond to some of the United Nations 2030 goals on sustainable development - adds Susanna Sieff -. Circular economy, technological innovation, protecting the territory, mobility, inclusion, calculation and compensation of CO2, working together through inclusive collaborations, built on common principles and values ​​and on shared objectives of protecting of our natural environment ".

The involvement of One Ocean Foundation stems from this desire to work together and from the promotion of the Charta Smeralda, the Code of Ethics of the foundation created by the Costa Smeralda Yacht Club. Cortina was one of the first municipalities to subscribe to this code, as was Fondazione Cortina on the occasion of the 2019 World Championships, where One Ocean Foundation in turn signed the Cortina Charter. Thus the project “The sea starts from here” was born, which sees the sponsorship of the Fondazione Cortina 2021 and the support of the Sole Cooperative, partner of the One Ocean Foundation and manager of environmental services in Cortina. The goal is to raise awareness and involve young people on the issue of protecting the sea through educational initiatives in schools aimed at highlighting the knot that binds marine and mountain ecosystems, interconnected even if distant. The One Ocean Foundation and the Sole Cooperative have consigned the videos “The Sea starts here” to the mayor of Cortina and made them available online, dedicated to secondary school students and a young audience in general. The videos collect the testimonies of great champions, OOF ambassadors, who want to sensitize young people to take an active part in the process of safeguarding the sea.

“The health of the sea depends on each of us and we are all, without exception, called to take concrete actions to protect it. It is essential, now more than ever, to raise awareness of the need to protect our oceans, especially involving young people and also those who live in environments geographically removed from the sea. Marine and mountain ecosystems are closely interconnected and One Ocean wants to act as a catalyst for a real cultural change aimed at shedding light on the real impact that the human footprint has on the planet's waters, regardless of where one is. The Sea Starts Here project aims to be a first step in this direction. Through educational initiatives in schools on the theme of environmental sustainability of the oceans, we aim to involve students, increasing their awareness of the need protect our beloved sea "- comments Riccardo Bonadeo, Vice President of One Ocean Foundation.

Marco Bono, president of Coop Sole: "Cooperativa Sole deals with all public ecology operations in Cortina and in other areas of Italy, and has managed this aspect during this and other major events. We are committed to increasing people's awareness of the importance correctly sorting everything that can be recycled. With our partner One Ocean Foundation, the Municipality of Cortina and the Fondazione Cortina 2021, with whom we have worked intensively in recent months , we have prepared a series of videos for middle school children. "The Sea Starts From Here" is an educational tool dedicated to young people, so that they can be ambassadors in their families for eco-friendly behaviour ".

The involvement of Federica Brignone, already ambassador of Cortina 2021, was a natural fit. Her environmental sustainability project "Liquid Trajectories" aims to raise public awareness of water pollution in all its forms. A work that in Cortina saw the presentation of the “fourth trajectory” to highlight a problem that is very dear to the champion, the melting of the glaciers. "As a sportswoman, working on snow, I feel the connection with this element, and of course with water, very strongly. Snow is water in a solid state” - she explained. “Climate change is endangering most of the glaciers in Italy, which each year retreat tens of meters. How can I contribute in my small way? I asked myself this and the answer was: I can talk about it”. “Liquid Trajectories” was conceived and created by Giulia and Daniela Mancini with the precious contribution of the photographer Giuseppe La Spada.

 Cortina Councillor Paola Coletti explains that what has been done so far locally will continue over time. "Cortina has always sought to maintain the balance of the environment. Between mountain and sea there is a great connection that starts from glaciers and rivers and reaches salt water. This is why great attention and respect for water is needed, and we help local children to discover these connections so that they can continue the work. We gave away 900 water bottles with the slogan "a journey without plastic", to reduce the use of plastic by encouraging children to use refillable water bottles ". (Ends)