Framing Energy Sufficiency in a Swiss Mountain Resort

Ivan Minguez () and Tristan Loloum
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Ivan Minguez: Institute of Social Work, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, 3960 Sierre, Switzerland
Tristan Loloum: Institute of Social Work, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, 3960 Sierre, Switzerland

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-21

Abstract: This article analyses how energy sufficiency can be applied in tourism destinations. It begins by highlighting the importance of decarbonizing tourism for climate action, given the sector’s high CO 2 emissions. Energy sufficiency, a key pillar of the energy transition, is defined as the voluntary reduction in energy demand within climate and CO 2 emission constraints. The study investigates how stakeholders interpret and frame this concept, by focusing on strategies that align with the public image of the resort to reduce its energy requirements. The methodology includes semi-structured interviews with key players in Verbier—Val de Bagnes, focus groups with cooperation partners, participant observations at local meetings and events, and analysis of local documentation. Research was undertaken using living lab methods. The results reveal five main categories and eleven subcategories in which local stakeholders frame sufficiency, including oppositional framings, off-framings, selective framings, institutional framings, and disempowering framings. The article concludes with recommendations to reframe sufficiency in order to align with the destination’s strategy and representations. While energy sufficiency is often overshadowed by narratives of economic growth, technological innovation, and material abundance, it appears crucial to reframe these narratives and integrate post-growth strategies that prioritize sustainability in tourism planning.

Keywords: sufficiency; energy; low-carbon tourism; destination management; sustainable tourism; degrowth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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