Industry News
Today, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, Colorado, announced it is now operating on a net-zero carbon footprint. After setting a goal to reach Carbon Neutrality by 2025 in 2018, the ski area achieved this massive feat months ahead of schedule, following the announcement of 100% renewable electricity in late 2023.
“A-Basin is committed to being stewards of the White River National Forest so that current and future generations can continue to enjoy it in every season for years to come. We are so proud of this accomplishment and are looking towards our next set of sustainability goals for 2025 and beyond to continue being leaders in the industry.”
– Alan Henceroth, COO of Arapahoe Basin Ski Area
In 2018, Arapahoe Basin created a six-step plan to reach carbon neutrality. These steps included working towards 75% waste diversion, improved transportation efficiency, responsible procurement, no net increase in domestic water use, and continuing to lead in ecosystem stewardship and wildlife management. A major milestone was converting all electricity use at the ski area to 100% renewable sources, which was completed in October 2023. Since then, buildings, electric vehicle charging stations, lifts, snowmaking activities, and other ski area needs have run on clean electricity.
The final step to reaching net zero was to continually reduce Scope 1 direct greenhouse gas emissions and offset them through tangible carbon reduction projects on the way to eliminating these emissions completely. To do so, Arapahoe Basin partnered with Terrapass to create a portfolio of U.S.-based, third-party verified carbon offsets.
“Achieving carbon neutrality thanks to this partnership with Terrapass is great for us, but definitely not the end of our climate action journey. After getting to 100% renewable electricity last year, and with viable carbon-free systems nearly within our grasp, we now know for sure that our real goal – Net Zero, Carbon-Free Operations – is just over the horizon. These offsets simply allow us to do some good in the meantime, while the cost of supporting these projects every year financially motivates us to finish the job.”
– Mike Nathan, Sustainability Manager at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area
Carbon offsets are credits individuals, corporations, or groups can use to compensate for their own emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere. Each credit is used to offset one metric ton of CO2 emitted and represents one metric ton of CO2 removed or avoided from the atmosphere from the project source. When employed properly, they serve as a “self-imposed tax” for all emitted carbon and can help incentivize emissions reductions as cost-saving measures.
Over the course of the 2022-23 season, Arapahoe Basin emitted 900 metric tons of CO2 through diesel, propane, and gasoline usage and an additional 50 metric tons through solid waste disposal. The ski area used this number to predict 2023-24 emissions and has preemptively offset 950 metric tons of carbon. A-Basin will reconcile those offsets against actual emissions when 23-24 data is complete, banking extra offsets or purchasing more accordingly.
Arapahoe Basin’s sustainability program goes beyond a roadmap for ski area operations and has evolved into a culture. The ski area has large-scale projects like on-site solar arrays, restored wetlands, comprehensive revegetation efforts, advocacy and policy work, and area-wide waste reduction efforts, as well as unique, innovative, and one-off projects in remote corners of the resort—all aligned around the shared cause of reducing A-Basin’s emissions and educating guests and staff alike.
Please visit the resort online to learn more about its sustainability efforts. An exhaustive list of projects and policies can be found here.
