The Hidden Toll of Fossil Fuels on Snowsports and Winter Resorts

With oil being a hot topic these days, some have taken to the slopes to bring awareness to the damage that polluting our planet is doing to what we love–skiing and snowboarding. While there is much debate surrounding the continued use of fossil fuels in today’s world– whether it be the practicality of alternative energy sources, economic doubts, or even culturally-embedded reasons, riders can all agree on one thing–less snow equals less fun.

One thing is clear: if you have eyes, you’ve noticed the snowfall become more and more inconsistent as each year goes on.

Ski resorts rely heavily on fossil fuels for energy-intensive activities to operate lifts, grooming machines, and snowmaking machines. Snowmaking machines in particular offer a conundrum–not only do they require enormous amounts of water (at least most of it melts back into the same watershed), but they also utilize tons of energy as they operate. So ironically, a warmer climate increases the need for snowmaking, but the process of snowmaking only adds contributes to an even warmer climate.

More than 60% of ski resorts use artificial snowmaking worldwide, and it’s estimated that almost 70% of energy consumption by ski resorts during the season is attributed to snowmaking. As temperatures continue to rise, snowmaking efficiency only becomes worse.

The important distinction for whether snowmaking is more beneficial or detrimental is where the required energy comes from. For example, 94% of Quebec’s electricity comes from hydropower while another 5% comes from wind power. When this is the case, snowmaking can be a good thing as it could incentivize locals to ski closer to home rather than travelling far distances in search of ideal snow conditions. That being said, not all snow is made equally. Alberta contributes an alarming 96% of snowmaking emissions nationally despite only producing 39% of the nation’s artificial snow due to its reliance on fossil fuels.

Over half of ski resorts throughout North America have disappeared over the last 50 years. As this continues to happen, home values near ski resort destinations could decline by at least 15% by 2050, possibly even up to 55%. Within 50 years, ski resorts below a mile (1.61 kilometres) in altitude will no longer be able to operate according to scientific studies.

With the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics almost underway, “Folk mot fossilmakta” (translating  to “people against fossil power”) from Norway has taken to social media to attempt to end the use of fossil fuels in snowsports. Its latest campaign, “Ski Fossil Free,” highlights that this year’s Olympics along with many of its athletes are sponsored by oil corporations despite the FIS having had to cancel 26 of its World Cup events last year due to warm weather. This campaign has been garnering attention and support from many Olympians and X-Game Medalists, with over 8,500 signatures already collected out of a goal of 20,000. Those interested can check out its Instagram page here @skifossilfree.

One may think that a sport so reliant on predictable, consistent conditions would be heavily in favor of renewable, zero-emission energy sources and environmentally-friendly practices—but that is not always the case. However, there are now vocal organizations that are desperately hoping to change this fact.