Denver, CO, June 10, 2021 — Today, Alterra Mountain Company, Boyne Resorts, POWDR and Vail Resorts announce the Climate Collaborative Charter, the ski industry’s first unified effort to combat climate change with shared commitments around sustainability and advocacy.
All four ski industry leaders have agreed to operate their respective resorts with sustainability at the forefront and use their collective voice to advocate for effective public policy on climate action in order to leave a positive legacy for future generations of skiers, snowboarders and outdoor enthusiasts. This will translate to further implementation of sustainable practices, including elements from NSAA’s Sustainable Slopes platform, across the combined 71 North American resorts, including marquee destinations such as Steamboat, Mammoth Mountain, Deer Valley Resort, Vail Mountain, Whistler Blackcomb, Park City Mountain, Big Sky Resort, Snowbird, Mt. Bachelor and Killington.
As part of the Climate Collaborative Charter, Alterra Mountain Company, Boyne Resorts, POWDR and Vail Resorts together announce a set of commitments and pledges.
As business leaders, the resort companies commit to:
- Reduce energy use wherever possible and aggressively pursue renewable energy sources to be carbon neutral
- Climate action and advocacy for effective public policy to accelerate the shift to a renewable energy economy
- Strong efforts and goals to reduce waste
- Be responsible stewards of the environment – the land, forests, watersheds, and habitats that provide the pristine locations where we live, work and host guests
- Share best practices to accelerate change in their respective companies and communities
- Support the National Ski Areas Association’s Sustainable Slopes platform
As stewards of the environment, the resort companies pledge to:
- Incorporate sustainability into all aspects of their owned and operated mountain resorts
- Lead by example and educate employees and guests about sustainability
- Place collaboration over competition when it comes to sustainability
- Advocate for climate protection
“We are very proud to be a part of this historic action and to co-create the industry’s first Climate Collaborative Charter,” said David Perry, Executive VP, ESG, Alterra Mountain Company. “This is an incredible opportunity for industry leaders to engage in healthy competition while educating, sharing best practices and knowledge, and motivating each other to put our best efforts forth to help support the urgent and core issues of sustainability.”
“It is through bold environmental commitments and ongoing collaboration that we will have the most impact on protecting and preserving the great outdoors,” said Kate Wilson, senior director of sustainability at Vail Resorts. “We announced Commitment to Zero in 2017, our goal to achieve a zero net operating footprint by 2030 across all our 37 resorts, and we are proud to have already made substantial progress toward that goal. Now, through the Climate Collaborative Charter, we look forward to partnering with these passionate leaders, and the entire industry, to leverage our progress and support many others on the same journey.”
“As part of POWDR’s Play Forever commitment to protect the environment and support our community, the importance of collaboration to drive both action and inspiration at scale is paramount,” said Laura Schaffer, POWDR Director of Corporate Responsibility. “We all must reach across the chairlift to work together, and the Climate Collaborative Charter is a phenomenal step of unity that complements on-site actions like using solar power at all of our resorts. POWDR is eager to work with Alterra Mountain Company, Boyne Resorts, Vail Resorts, NSAA and the mountain resort industry as a whole as a united front to drive necessary change.”
“The idea for the four of us to unite in this pledge to combat climate change was actually formed at an industry conference in October of 2019 and it has endured many iterations and diligent review to get us to where we proudly are today,” said Stephen Kircher, president and chief executive officer of Boyne Resorts. “This effort brought momentum to Boyne Resorts’ progress with several environmental sustainability initiatives represented in our ForeverProject and we are excited to welcome the shared knowledge, accountability, collective voice and other benefits to come from the Climate Collaborative Charter.”
As the four largest ski industry leaders unite to combat climate change, they also humbly and urgently ask that all mountain resorts commit to take similar action. Additionally, this coalition is working to broaden engagement and participation from its employees, guests and community members, and be inclusive of voices and perspectives from all backgrounds.
Please click here for the complete Climate Collaborative Charter.
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About Alterra Mountain Company
Alterra Mountain Company is a family of 15 iconic year-round destinations, including the world’s largest heli-ski operation, offering the Ikon Pass, the new standard in season passes. The company owns and operates a range of recreation, hospitality, real estate development, food and beverage, retail and service businesses. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with destinations across the continent, Alterra Mountain Company is rooted in the spirit of the mountains and united by a passion for outdoor adventure. Alterra Mountain Company’s family of diverse playgrounds spans six U.S. states and three Canadian provinces: Steamboat and Winter Park in Colorado; Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain and Big Bear Mountain Resort in California; Stratton and Sugarbush Resort in Vermont; Snowshoe in West Virginia; Tremblant in Quebec, Blue Mountain in Ontario; Crystal Mountain in Washington; Deer Valley Resort and Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah; and CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures in British Columbia. Also included in the portfolio is Alpine Aerotech, a worldwide helicopter support and maintenance service center in British Columbia, Canada. Alterra Mountain Company honors each destination’s unique character and authenticity and celebrates the legendary adventures and enduring memories they bring to everyone. For more information, please visitwww.alterramtnco.com.
About Boyne Resorts
Boyne Resorts is a collection of mountain and lakeside resorts, ski areas, and attractions spanning from British Columbia to Maine. The company owns and operates 11 properties and an outdoor lifestyle equipment/apparel retail division with stores throughout Michigan.Operations include snowsports and year-round mountain recreation, golf, an indoor waterpark, North America’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge, spas, food and beverage, lodging and real estate development. Boyne Resorts is headquartered in Michigan and its geographically diverse locations include Big Sky Resort in Montana, Sugarloaf and Sunday River Resort in Maine; Boyne Highlands Resort, Boyne Mountain Resort and Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark, Inn at Bay Harbor – Autograph Collection, and Boyne Country Sports in Michigan; Loon Mountain Resort in New Hampshire; Gatlinburg SkyLift Park in Tennessee; Brighton Resort in Utah; The Summit at Snoqualmie in Washington; and Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver, B.C. To learn more, please visit www.boyneresorts.com.
About POWDR
POWDR is an adventure lifestyle company that offers awesome experiences in amazing places. Within POWDR’s portfolio are 11 mountain resorts including Copper Mountain and Eldora Mountain Resort in Colorado; Killington and Pico Mountain in Vermont; Boreal Mountain Resort and Soda Springs in the Lake Tahoe region of California; Mt. Bachelor in Oregon; Lee Canyon in Nevada; Snowbird and Woodward Park City in Utah; and SilverStar Resort in British Columbia. POWDR owns the Woodward experiential action sports company which includes Woodward PA, Woodward Copper in Colorado, Woodward Tahoe, Woodward West in Stallion Springs, CA, and Woodward Riviera Maya, Mexico. Sun Country Tours in Oregon is the company’s river rafting outfitter and Powderbird, based out of Snowbird in Utah, is POWDR’s heli-adventure operator. POWDR is headquartered in Park City, Utah. www.POWDR.com.
About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator with 37 destination mountain resorts and regional ski areas across three countries. Through EpicPromise, the company’s corporate social responsibility platform, Vail Resorts is committed to supporting its employees and communities and preserving the environment. That includes Commitment to Zero—Vail Resorts’ bold goal to reach a zero net operating footprint across the enterprise by 2030 through zero net emissions, zero waste to landfill, and zero net operating impact on forests and habitat. Vail Resorts’ subsidiaries operate Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham in Australia; Stowe, Mount Snow, Okemo in Vermont; Hunter Mountain in New York; Mount Sunapee, Attitash, Wildcat and Crotched in New Hampshire; Stevens Pass in Washington; Liberty, Roundtop, Whitetail, Jack Frost and Big Boulder in Pennsylvania; Alpine Valley, Boston Mills, Brandywine and Mad River in Ohio; Hidden Valley and Snow Creek in Missouri; Wilmot in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota; Mt. Brighton in Michigan; and Paoli Peaks in Indiana. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN).
