Sustainability 360°
—VAIA VAIA: action design Special Mention
—Story of the startup born to give new life to the forests of Dolomites and to protect the alpine glaciers
In 2018 the “Vaia” storm hit the Dolomites violently. Now VAIA has become a business idea recognized by Forbes as a sustainable business model, with the goal to creare a positive impact for the territory and communities. Our startup makes design objects by recovering the wood of fallen trees and rebuilding the forests of Dolomites. The VAIA Focus involves another fundamental component of the mountain ecosystem: glaciers. Estimates indicate 90% of glaciers will disappear by 2100. With the VAIA Focus we have decided to safeguard and protect Alpine glaciers, which are in danger due to climate change. Each VAIA Focus contributes to saving one square meter of alpine glacier. The solution is to cover the surface of the glaciers with a geotextile sheet, which can reduce melting by up to 100%. The fight against climate change necessarily depends on our ability to prevent the melting of glaciers.