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Alterra Mountain Company reinforced its commitment to social responsibility, unveiling its first Impact Report. Focused on four core pillars – Prioritizing People, Protecting the Planet, Investing in Community, and Operating Responsibly – the report lays out a roadmap to further implement the company’s new social responsibility platform, Forward Stance, to make positive impacts across all company operations.
With Forward Stance, Alterra has established ambitious sustainability goals and science-based targets for carbon reduction after conducting comprehensive company-wide environmental audits and benchmarking of its then 15 North American mountain resorts. This process took more than a year and included more than 4.3 million square feet of building audits, a review of more than 3.8 thousand acres of snowmaking, and benchmarking all of the company’s Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions. In addition, the company is implementing DEI actions based on auditing, surveying, and outreach to more than 20,000 employees.
2030 Sustainability Goals
With an industry-leading commitment to sustainability, Alterra is one of a few leading organizations in the ski industry to channel climate action by setting data-based emissions reductions targets to be verified with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) for third-party approval. The company pledges to:
– Reduce carbon emissions in its owned operations by more than 50% by 2030 and engage supply chain partners to set their own carbon reduction goals
With this goal, the company will achieve absolute emissions reductions directly related to the business while engaging in reduction opportunities with emissions sources outside the company’s control. In addition to an SBTi registered target, Alterra has also committed to:
– Be powered by 100% renewable energy by 2030
– Be carbon neutral across all owned operations by 2030
The size and complexity of the company requires a variety of initiatives to meet the 2030 goals, and Alterra is committed to creating the biggest impact, while leaving the smallest footprint. The four main areas of the company’s sustainability strategy are Efficiency, Renewable Energy, Electrification of Infrastructure, and Collaboration. Among the most notable initiatives designed to achieve those goals are an enterprise-wide carbon tracking software to measure improvements over time, an Active Energy Management program, renewable energy procurement, and transitioning to electric vehicles and other electrified infrastructure at all destinations.
Alterra is also focused on continued climate action collaboration and advocacy with other alliances and partnerships, with peers, suppliers, legislators, and other key stakeholders.
DEI Actions
Alterra is also using a data-based approach to implement strategic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) actions to expand inclusive employee support for a broader range of people. With a goal to foster growth, inclusivity, equity, and diversity among its more than 20,000 employees, Alterra has launched the ski industry’s most comprehensive slate of Employee Resource Groups. It has also broadened education and other guidance resources for all employees, covering topics spanning DEI, safety, well-being and resilience.
In addition to elevated employee support, Alterra recognizes the need to make the mountains and snowsports more accessible to underrepresented communities across the country. As the world’s premier mountain operating company, it is dedicated to breaking down various social, economic, and cultural barriers to entry by providing sustained pathways through an enhanced partnership with the Share Winter Foundation, the Ikon Pass Scholarship program, and a diverse range of local community partners that serve a broad range of youth, communities of color, adaptive skiers with disabilities, local Native American and First Nations communities, and other underrepresented groups.
“Alterra Mountain Company has dedicated tremendous effort to identify and set up essential sustainability and DEI goals designed to ensure our industry’s long-term health and growth,” said Karen Sanford, Alterra Mountain Company’s Chief Legal & Social Responsibility Officer. “With this first Impact Report and a clearly laid-out framework of data- and science-based measurable objectives, we will be able to hold ourselves accountable and have a positive impact through the important environmental, social, community and ethical initiatives implemented across our company and beyond.”
Since elevating its commitment to sustainability and appointing Darcie Renn as Vice President of Sustainability and Annie Kao as Vice President of Social Responsibility, the Forward Stance team has invested in diverse community partnerships to make mountains more accessible, implemented annual company-wide GHG inventories and inclusion surveys to collect vital data, conducted comprehensive sustainability and DEI audits, and benchmarked goal-oriented solutions to combat climate change and further expand inclusive employee support and mountain access. The Forward Stance team has also expanded its philanthropic footprint through the creation of the Alterra Mountain Company Community Foundation.
For more information on Forward Stance and upcoming annual reports detailing progress against the above-stated goals, please visit www.alterramtnco.com/social-responsibility.
