The Alpenforum was founded by its president Dr. Ian Meerkamp van Embden on January 4, 1995, only a few days after his retirement from VCI (Verband der Chemischen Industrie e.V.) Frankfurt am Main. The seat of this association is St. Georgenob Murau in upper Styria, Austria.

Walter Klöpffer has been a member of Alpenforum since 1997 and was appointed as a scientific advisor of the board in the same year.

The German daughter association Alpenforum Deutschland with seat in Bad Homburg v.d.H. was founded in 2001. Walter Klöpffer acts as vice-chairman of this association according to German law, the chairman is the president of Alpenforum. The Alpenforum deals with a broad range of social and environmental problems of the alpine area.

The following goals are stated in the programme:

• Fostering the historical heritage and the cultural assets of the Alpine countries
• Protection and promotion of the economic basis
• Conservation of the nature and the recreational values in the Alpine area
• Recognition of a sustainable development in the Alpine countries as a guiding principle
• Recognition of the goals of the convention on the Alpes ("Alpenkonvention")
• Promotion of the relations between the Alpine countries, recognizing especially the economic, socio-cultural and ecological conditions
• Promotion of the integration of the Alpine states in the framework of the European Union
• Respect and protection of regionally developed forms ("gewachsene Strukturen")

For more information please visit Alpenforum´s website given below.