Facing the Glacier: What Our Chamonix Seminar Taught Us About Climate Transition
In January, the leadership and commercial teams of Horizon Trading Software travelled to Chamonix for an internal seminar to kick off 2026 with strategy, alignment and collective energy.
One of the highlights was a guided visit to the Mer de Glace glacier, led by a passionate expert who took us on a striking journey through the past, present and future of one of Europe’s largest glaciers.
This on‑site immersion not only left a strong impression, it also reinforced why understanding these issues lies at the heart of one of the three missions of the Horizon & Beyond Foundation:
“raising awareness of climate change challenges and potential solutions.”
Past: A Glacier That Shaped the Landscape
One of the first images shown to the group depicted the Mer de Glace as it appeared in the 19th century.
Along the educational panels visible during the visit, several stages stand out:
- 1825: a monumental glacier tongue filling the entire valley
- 1860: an immense, massive glacier sculpting the landscape
- 1992: a first clear rupture — the ice recedes, revealing a newly exposed valley
- 2024: the ice now occupies only a fraction of its original space
The perspective is striking: in less than two centuries, the Mer de Glace has lost over 3 km in length and 300 meters in thickness below the Montenvers viewpoint.
Present: Understanding the Data Behind the Transformation
The educational displays examined during the visit place this retreat in a broader context:
- Temperature graphs show a rapid rise starting in the 1940s–50s.
- CO₂ levels (425 ppm in 2024) and methane concentrations have reached the highest levels in 800,000 years (EPICA Antarctic ice core data).
- The link between these concentrations and the amplification of the greenhouse effect is clearly established.
These elements are not meant to alarm, but to explain.
The glacier becomes a tangible, concrete way to understand what IPCC findings or climate scenarios used in ESG reports actually mean.
Future: A Landscape on the Verge of Disappearing
Perhaps the most striking part of the exhibition is the section dedicated to projections.
The photos we took show four prospective maps: 2025 – 2035 – 2045 – 2065
The retreat accelerates until near‑total disappearance around 2070 as seen from the Montenvers viewpoint.
These visualizations encourage reflection:
This is not “a distant future”, but two generations from now.
Why This Visit Matters for Horizon & Beyond
For our team, this experience was more than an educational outing.
It reinforced the idea that awareness, understanding and action are three inseparable levers of the climate transition.
It also strengthened our conviction:
- no transition without understanding,
- no ESG strategy without shared knowledge,
- no lasting action without collective ownership.
This is exactly what we aim to foster.
Supporting the Financial Sector: Understand Better to Act Better
Horizon & Beyond Foundation helps financial organizations build a solid, pragmatic and shared understanding of environmental challenges.
Our key formats include:
- The Climate Fresk workshop
- The “2 Tonnes” workshop
- The “Essential Sustainable Finance” MOOC, featuring recognized industry experts
- Tailored conferences and workshops for executives and operational teams
These approaches help move beyond theory and anchor the issues in reality — just as our visit to the Mer de Glace did.
What Comes Next?
Climate transition is not only a scientific or political issue:
it affects our landscapes, our economic models, our investment decisions, and our ESG strategies.
Our team returned from Chamonix with a reinforced belief:
it is both urgent and possible to act with clarity, ambition and pedagogy.
👉 If you would like support in your ESG approach, to organize a Climate Fresk or a 2 Tonnes workshop, or to offer your teams strategic upskilling in sustainable finance, we would be delighted to talk.
To start, explore our Essential Sustainable Finance MOOC — an expert and accessible introduction to the main European frameworks.