The Winter Sports Sustainability Network (WSN) – which is managed by Peak 63 and the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) – worked with Snowsports Industries America (SIA) to establish a “transformative” climate pact. This agreement combines prominent ski, snowboard, binding and boot brands from Europe and the U.S. as part of a unified commitment to accelerate climate action in the winter sports industry.
Noting that the winter sports industry is highly affected by climate change, the group also acknowledged its role in the global environmental challenges through the products, value chains, activities and travels that it generates.
In other words, we all –Â us, our customers and the athletes we sponsor – all emit greenhouse gas.
“Given the global nature of the winter sports industry, it’s imperative that we tackle climate change on a global scale, said Nick Sargent, president of Snowsports Industries America. “SIA and WSN co-developed the Climate Pact in an effort to engage the global winter sports community around a set of meaningful commitments. Having the most influential hard goods brands join the Climate Pact not only aligns us on a defined path forward, but also shows the world that we’re tackling climate at the speed and scale that it demands.”
To learn more, view today’s press conference here.
By signing the Climate Pact, the industry publicly formalized its commitment to addressing climate change and achieving a net-zero carbon emissions future. For this purpose, the group plans to work along five “core” principles:
- Focusing efforts on required greenhouse gas emission reductions, to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, in line with the Paris Agreement.
- Progressing its climate commitment by joining the UN “Race to Zero” campaign before the end of 2024, with validated climate targets through internationally verified climate initiatives.
- Guiding the industry forward in collaborative action, where the more “climate-advanced” companies support and guide less-advanced peers.
- Leveraging influence to drive systemic change by advocating for progressive state, national and international climate policy.
- Recognizing how the industry contributes to the climate crisis, and publicly addressing climate change as a top management priority for business.
The Climate Pact is designed to unite the winter sports industry to address the climate crisis head-on, and take decisive action to meet the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement. Through this collective initiative, we acknowledge the industry’s vulnerability to global warming, using our brand recognition and industry organizations to propel systemic change.
The industry climate pact was signed by the following member brands: Atomic, Black Crows, Blizzard, Burton, Capita, Dalbello, Decathlon, Elan, Fischer, Jones Snowboards, K2, Kastle, Marker, OneWay, Rossignol, Salomon, Tecnica, The Nidecker Group and Volkl. The winter sports sustainability network is a platform for collaboration, learning and joint sustainability action within the winter sports industry.
