Some of the world’s most prominent ski resorts have joined forces to form the Global Sustainability Ski Alliance, a groundbreaking international initiative aimed at accelerating climate action and sustainable practices across the ski tourism industry.

The alliance, announced on Wednesday at the Interalpin trade fair in Innsbruck, Austria, brings together operators responsible for more than 800 ski lifts and 25 million skier days annually.

Founding members include France’s Compagnie des Alpes, Austria’s KitzSki, Italy’s Kronplatz and Switzerland’s LAAX. Finland’s Levi Ski Resort, New Zealand’s NZSki, Germany’s Oberstdorf Kleinwalsertal Bergbahnen and Sweden’s SkiStar also joined the alliance.

Joint Commitment to Climate Action

“As an industry reliant on stable winter conditions, we have a responsibility to lead change,” said Dominique Thillaud, CEO of Compagnie des Alpes. “We’re aligning our efforts to meet the Paris Agreement targets and engage our supply chains in the process.”

The alliance aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, modernize infrastructure, and promote low-carbon innovations through shared knowledge, standardized data, and cross-border collaboration.

Pooling Expertise to Accelerate Progress

“By sharing insights, data, and innovations, we can accelerate the actions needed to address the climate challenges facing ski tourism,” said Stefan Sjöstrand, CEO of SkiStar.

Jouni Palosaari, CEO of Levi Ski Resort, emphasized the importance of international cooperation: “With the Global Sustainability Ski Alliance, the industry is strengthening collaboration, sharing best practices, and jointly developing sustainable solutions to ensure the future of winter sports.”

Focus on Infrastructure and Supply Chains

The alliance is pushing for fundamental changes in business processes, from infrastructure upgrades to supply chain management. KitzSki board members Anton Bodner and Christian Wörister said the group is working with suppliers to prioritize decarbonization and foster innovation.

“Sustainability is not just an environmental concern, but a business imperative,” said Andreas Dorfmann, CEO of Kronplatz, noting that standardized environmental metrics would help monitor progress across the alliance.

Reto Gurtner, CEO of LAAX operator Weisse Arena Group, added: “We are advancing electrification, maximizing energy efficiency, and relying entirely on renewable energy – all with respect to nature.”

Supporting Local Communities

Beyond environmental goals, the alliance stressed its commitment to social and regional responsibility. Henrik Volpert, CEO of Oberstdorf Kleinwalsertal Bergbahnen, said the group is developing tools to measure the impact on local economies and quality of life.

“We want to demonstrate how sustainable tourism works in practice – economically viable, environmentally effective, and socially responsible,” Volpert said.

Paul Anderson, CEO of NZSki, highlighted the role of innovation in the alliance’s mission. “The strength of this alliance lies in its commitment to collaboration and groundbreaking solutions,” he said.

With its structured, data-driven approach and broad geographic representation, the Global Sustainability Ski Alliance aims to prove that sustainable tourism is not only possible but scalable and commercially sound.

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