The Startup that Wants to Save Glaciers
Many people have seen old images of some glacier, as it was a few decades ago. And compared them with current images, noting how, in a few years, the dimensions have dwindled. At this rate, says the European Environment Agency, by 2100 almost 90% of the volume of glaciers will disappear. One of the many negative effects of climate change, of the atmospheric pollution we produce, and which has a devastating impact on the environment. But if it is easy enough to find on the web initiatives that promote the replanting of deforested areas or the collection of highly polluting plastic or waste, no one thinks of glaciers. At least until a few months ago, when four students of EMIT Bocconi (Economics and Management of Innovation and Technology), Giovanni Cartapani, Pietro Cimenti, Gabriele Doppiu and Sara Signorelli, gave birth to Glac-Up, a startup that became part of of the Bocconi for Innovation pre-acceleration program.
The firm aims to involve people and companies for the protection of glaciers, by raising funds that will be used for the purchase of special geotextile sheets to cover the glaciers during the summer season. "Last September we submitted a questionnaire to about 1,000 people, which revealed that the melting of glaciers was a major concern," says Giovanni Cartapani. And tarpaulins are, at the moment, the only effective, albeit expensive, option. "We address companies, in particular those that have already shown interest in protecting the environment and that perhaps can integrate it into the sale of their products, dedicating part of the proceeds to our initiative and making sure that customers are informed." Continues Cartapani,"We also target private individuals, for whom we are preparing a platform through which they will be able to 'adopt' their portion of the mountain."
Other key players are local authorities, mountain communities, hoteliers, and ski schools. And the goal that Glac-Up sets itself is to involve them all. Not only in Italy, because the problem also concerns neighboring countries such as France, Switzerland, and Austria, with which the mountains often are borders. "For the season that is about to begin we have made the first agreement", continues Giovanni Cartapani, "with the Presena glacier, managed by the Ponte di Legno-Tonale Consortium. We focus on this project, to validate the business model that will then have to be used for other glaciers. The feedback with the companies we spoke to is positive, we are about to close several deals. It is a highly effective protection system ", continues the student-entrepreneur," which can save up to 100% of the covered area. And for the communities that decide to join our project it can also be an extraordinary distinctive element."