Global Sustainability Ski Alliance
Leading ski resorts join forces for sustainable tourism
The leading ski resorts, including Compagnie des Alpes (France), KitzSki (Austria), Kronplatz (Italy), LAAX (Switzerland), Levi Ski Resorts (Finland), NZSki (New Zealand), Oberstdorf Kleinwalsertal Bergbahnen (Germany), and SkiStar (Sweden, Norway), together operate more than 800 ski lifts and record approximately 25 million skier days. On May 7, 2025, the Global Sustainability Ski Alliance was officially launched at the Interalpin in Innsbruck – the first initiative of its kind in the ski industry. By joining forces, the members are now intensifying their individual efforts, pooling resources and expertise to achieve even greater progress in reducing CO2 emissions and promoting sustainable innovations in ski tourism.
A shared commitment to sustainability
The newly founded Global Sustainability Ski Alliance sees itself as a driving force for sustainable tourism in the face of climate change. All participating companies have already implemented their own sustainability initiatives in recent years – now they are pooling their expertise. "As an industry that plays a key role in maintaining stable winter conditions, it is our responsibility to shape the change and lead the way. We are focusing our efforts on the necessary emission reductions to comply with the Paris Agreement in our own operations and must now work together to increasingly include our supply chains," says Dominique Thillaud, CEO of Compagnie des Alpes.
"We are proud to have taken the initiative to establish the Global Sustainability Ski Alliance, which brings together some of the world's leading ski resorts to jointly make progress towards a more sustainable industry. By sharing insights, data, and innovations, we can accelerate the necessary actions to address the climate challenges facing ski tourism today,"
adds Stefan Sjöstrand, CEO of SkiStar.
"At Levi Ski Resort, we are strongly committed to enabling white winters in the future. With the Global Sustainability Ski Alliance, the industry is strengthening international cooperation, sharing best practices, and jointly developing sustainable solutions to secure the future of winter sports," says Jouni Palosaari, CEO of Levi Ski Resort.
Key Actions for Change
In light of the urgent climate crisis, the Alliance recognizes that the transition involves not only reducing the ecological footprint but also requires profound changes in business processes – from infrastructure to supply chain management. "We work with our suppliers to prioritize measures aligned with decarbonization needs and support them in developing low-carbon innovations. International collaboration with leading partners from the cable car and tourism industries in the areas of mobility, energy consumption, sustainability, and research and development is crucial for us as a company to ensure positive and successful development for the future," explain Anton Bodner and Christian Wörister, members of the KitzSki Board of Directors.
"By standardizing environmental data and developing key performance indicators, the environmental footprint of the alliance and its supply chains is continuously monitored," explains Andreas Dorfmann, CEO of Kronplatz. Another focus of the members is the modernization of infrastructure: "We are driving forward electrification, maximizing energy efficiency, and relying entirely on renewable energies – always in harmony with nature," adds Reto Gurtner, CEO and President of the Weisse Arena Group, the operator of the LAAX ski area. These measures contribute to reducing emissions and ensuring the long-term sustainability of operations.
Supporting Local Communities
The alliance is also committed to strengthening local communities and assuming social and regional responsibility in addition to environmental protection. Tourism providers see themselves as an integral part of local communities, with a direct impact on jobs, economic cycles, and quality of life in the region. To make this contribution measurable and comparable, members share best practices on how their commitment can be measured and communicated. "We want to demonstrate how sustainable tourism works in practice – economically viable, environmentally effective, and socially responsible," emphasizes Henrik Volpert, CEO
of OK Bergbahnen.
Innovation and Collaboration as Pillars of Success
"The true strength of our alliance lies in our shared ambition to sustainably transform the industry through collective responsibility and groundbreaking innovations," says Paul Anderson, CEO of NZSki. Through coordinated knowledge sharing, joint prioritization of measures, and technical collaboration, progress is not only accelerated but also made scalable. With their structured, data-driven approach and broad coalition, the members of the Global Sustainability Ski Alliance aim to send a clear signal that sustainable tourism is achievable, measurable, and economically viable.
Responsible contacts:
CDA: Sandra Picard, sandra.picard@compagniedesalpes.fr., +33.1 46 84 88 53, Xavier Yvon, xavier.yvon@corp-us.fr, +33.6 88 29 72 37
KitzSki: Christian Wörister, c.woerister@kitzski.at, +43 664 611 88 67
Kronplatz: Thomas Reiter, thomas.reiter@kronplatz.org, +39 348 0428505
LAAX: Martina Calonder, medien@laax.com, +41 81 927 70 26
Levi: Marko Mustonen, marko.mustonen@levi.fi, +358 40 518 4559
NZSki: Mandy Cooper mandy.cooper@nzski.com, +6427 337 7907
OK Bergbahnen: Miriam Frietsch, m.frietsch@ok-bergbahnen.com, +49 8322 9600 2325
SkiStar: Åsa Bergendorf, press@skistar.com, +46 76 765 09 65
About the ski resorts:
Compagnie des Alpes: As a major player in the leisure industry, Compagnie des Alpes (CDA) has been shaping leisure activities for millions of people in Europe for over 35 years. Today, CDA employs 6,300 people and operates 10 of the most beautiful mountain resorts in the Alps, 13 renowned theme parks, outdoor activities in the mountains, and is co-leader in five-a-side football and the market leader in padel.
KitzSki: Bergbahn Kitzbühel AG (KitzSki) is one of the leading cable car companies in the Alps. With a ski area encompassing the Kitzbühel, Kirchberg, Jochberg, and Pass Thurn regions, KitzSki offers a first-class mountain experience for winter sports enthusiasts and summer visitors.
Kronplatz: Kronplatz in South Tyrol is one of the most modern and versatile ski resorts in Italy. As part of the Dolomiti Superski network, it offers access to 121 kilometers of perfectly groomed slopes and 31 modern lift systems.
LAAX: LAAX in the Swiss Alps stands not only for freestyle, but also for greenstyle. Since 2010, we have pursued the motto "reduce, reuse, recycle" with our Greenstyle initiative and implement new measures annually.
Levi Ski Resort: Levi Ski Resort Ltd is one of the most popular ski resorts in the Nordic countries and Finland's leading year-round activity resort. Levi Ski Resort's success is based on its professional staff, advanced technological capabilities, and the annual Alpine World Cup races. Levi Ski Resort is the first ski resort in the Nordic countries to commit to the ISO 14001 environmental management system. Respect and care for the Arctic environment are at the core of its corporate values.
NZSki: NZSki operates three of New Zealand's largest commercial ski resorts: Coronet Peak and The Remarkables in Queenstown, and Mt Hutt in Canterbury.
Oberstdorf Kleinwalsertal Bergbahnen: Two countries, one skiing experience: The Oberstdorf Kleinwalsertal Bergbahnen offer unlimited skiing fun on 130 kilometers of slopes and 48 lifts.
SkiStar: SkiStar AB operates ski resorts in Sweden and Norway, including Sälen, Vemdalen, and Åre in Sweden, and Hemsedal and Trysil in Norway.
