On September 20th and 21st, the European Pellet Council (EPC) participated in the 2018 edition of the Pellet Summit. First organised in 2013, the Pellet Summit is an initiative of the German group Mann-Energie that aims at highlighting the concrete impact of climate change on the environment, while promoting the use of wood pellets as an effective solution. The concept of this great advocacy event relies on a most literal definition of a “summit”. The 2018 edition took participants to the top of the Wildhorn mountain in Switzerland. It welcomed a wide range of participants from environmental organisations to local authorities, through radio & TV journalists, national pellet associations, producers, etc.
After an ascent to the mountain hut on day 1, participants had a chance to enjoy an evening presentation about alpine glacier evening from a professor at the University of Lausanne. But the core of the event took place on Day 2, when participants climbed to the glacier plateau at 3,000 metres in the morning. There, after another expert presentation on the Wildhorn glacier itself, they affixed a mark at the current extension of the glacier to highlight this striking effect of climate change and document the interconnection between the melting of glaciers and the rise of sea levels worldwide. A giant banner with the summit’s key message was unfurled, with all participants posing for drone-shot group picture amidst breath-taking scenery.
The conference then got back on more traditional tracks (save for the scenery), with a presentation of a catalogue of policy proposals to further develop the pellet sector in the fight against climate change. After a final presentation of outstanding projects and achievements from the sector, participants made their final ascent to the summit of the Wildhorn before making their way back down to the village of Anzère.
In the end, this refreshing and powerful initiative for the promotion of pellets and the fight against climate change was a great success. With good European press coverage and intense activity on the social networks, this Pellet Summit 2018 created an interesting _ and hopefully lasting_ echo for our sector. More importantly, it brought together the full spectrum of pellet stakeholders and helped strengthen essential bonds within the European pellet sector.