The Aspen Skiing Company (ASC) says it is on track to achieve pioneering greenhouse gas emissions goals this year and will unveil several new energy saving projects, including a ban on incandescent light bulbs (an industry first), an installation of a new solar array at The Sundeck, the energy efficient remodel of the Merry-Go-Round restaurant on Aspen Highlands and a retrofit of boilers at The Little Nell hotel.

In 2010, ASC’s CO2 emissions were already successfully decreased by 2.1 per cent to from 2000, despite significant growth in the size of the resort and the company, which attracts nearly one out of every five destination visitors coming from outside the U.S.A, has set an ambitious goal of reducing total C02 emissions by 10 per cent by 2012 and 25 per cent by 2020.

From 2000-2010, ASC was able to reduce C02 emissions from electricity use by 6.5 per cent.  The company is currently on target to achieve a 5 per cent reduction of total C02 emissions in 2011.

ASC’s incandescent bulb ban reads as follows: “Lighting accounts for about 15 per cent of energy use in ASC hotels and office buildings, and 34 per cent of total electricity use in the U.S. In the last twenty years, new technology means replacing incandescent bulbs with efficient and aesthetically acceptable fluorescent or LED bulbs is possible and will  be implemented.’

ASC recently installed its sixth solar array at The Sundeck restaurant on the top of Aspen Mountain. The 2kW array, using super high efficiency Sunpower panels is accompanied by an educational display.

ASC will also cut its natural gas consumption by an estimated 25-30 per cent by proactively retrofitting boilers at The Little Nell Hotel. This estimated saving will prevent 305-365 tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

The Portes du Soleil has published some rare statistics that give skiers and the wider world a clue to what generates the most global warming causing carbon emissions on their ski holiday.

Working with the French Environment and energy Management agency, the country’s National Associsation of Mayors in Mountain Resorts and the environmental pressure group Mountain Riders, the region of a dozen resorts in France and Switzerland found that the largest part of a ski holidays emissions was typically caused by transport to and from the resort (57%) followed by accommodation in resort (27%) with the day on the slopes accounting for 2%.

Of that 2% just over half (53%) was generated by piste grooming, 25% by snow making and 17% by ski lift operation.

The ski region also produced figures on the average percentages of the holiday producing CO2 by a typical ski holiday maker.  As the research was centred on their domestic market they did not include arriving by air, but found that arrival by car meant nearly five times as much carbon emission as arriving by rail.  Accommodation was the next highest percentage and use of public facilities like shops and restaurants the third most.  An individual’s share of the operational CO2 emissions of ski lift, snow making and trail grooming equipment was minimal.

The Porte du Soleil is working to reduce its CO2 emissions and several of the individual lift companies are working towards obtaining the international ISO 14001 environmental management standard, already attained by Avoriaz and Les Gets.   Initiatives include using bio-diesel in the grooming tractors and ensuring their engines are not left running idle.
 
Veronica Tonge notes "As noted throughout ResponsibleSkiing.com, the biggest thing skiers can do regarding their carbon emissions is to modify their mode of transport to the ski resort and this is supported by this research.  However, what is important to note is that the environmental impacts of skiing are not all about CO2 - it's about water, visual impact, noise, forests and wildlife.   It's always important to be looking at the wider impacts - though often they are harder to measure and record.   We must be sure we are jusnot valuing the measurable