With the 2026 UIAA General Assembly taking place in Kathmandu, the UIAA Mountain Protection Commission and the Climate Change Taskforce felt it was important to set up a “give-back scheme” for all delegates traveling to Nepal. This is to offer an optional alternative to paying for CO2 offsetting to an airline company and rather giving the money to a locally rooted project. The idea being that if 100 delegates each give USD 20, then USD 2,000 can go to the selected project and sustainably support climbing and mountaineering in Nepal.
Each delegate can choose whether to donate or not.
And each delegate can choose what amount to donate to the cause. Airline companies give an estimate of the price necessary to offset the purchased flights. This could act as guidance.
The selected organisation for the give back scheme is:
Sustainable Solid Waste Management Plan for Sagarmatha – https://www.spcc.org.np/
- Nominated for the UIAA Mountain Protection Award in 2019, SPCC collects, manages, and recycles 300 tonnes of waste annually to keep the Everest Region clean.
- They oversee garbage management of 60+ peaks of the Khumbu Region including Mt. Everest. With over 30 years of experience, and with over 5000 partners – communities, organizations, and volunteers – they work to ensure Everest remains pristine.
- UIAA delegate donations will go towards ensuring the continuity, and expansion, and completion of the Khumbu Solid Waste Management Plan adopted in 2023 by the SPCC and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality (KPLRM). More specifically, the donated funds would go toward educating school children on the importance of waste management. The SPCC team will conduct waste management awareness programs and training in 1-2 local schools in the Everest Region. The schools would also receive support in integrating the concept of waste recycling and upcycling – for example, turning waste into art. Educating students on proper waste collection, segregation, and recycling/upcycling is an integral part of achieving sustainable waste management in the region.
Donate here.
