Alpinism to forgo its cultural heritage status?

In December 2019, alpinism was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). The project, initiated by amateurs, professionals, and two municipalities in the Mont Blanc region, was backed by the French, Swiss and Italian States. However, the French administration adopted two contradictory stances regarding this project: strong support in keeping with the spirit of the 2003 Convention, on the one hand, and instrumentalization of the inscription once it had been achieved, with little regard for the community, on the other. The project leaders, frustrated by these actions, considered requesting a “delisting.” This case study raises questions about the relationship between state policies regarding cultural heritage and environmental protection, as well as the temptation to instrumentalize cultural heritage to promote environmental policies.