Ski Vermont Among Trade Groups United in Support of National Climate Partnership
MONTPELIER – Ski Vermont joined six other state ski trade associations from across the country Wednesday to express united support for the formation of the Outdoor Business Climate Partnership to provide leadership on climate change.
Following the announcement by the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), SnowSports Industries America (SIA) and National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) of its partnership, leaders of several state ski area trade associations including Ski Vermont released the following statement:
“Pursuit of climate change solutions is a defining issue for ski areas across the United States. Many meaningful solutions are possible with action at the state and regional level. As economic drivers in our respective states we urge policy makers to understand that we can’t wait for lasting, bipartisan action to reduce carbon emissions, promote energy innovation and support a rapid, responsible transition to a clean energy economy. We applaud and join with the broader outdoor recreation community and the National Ski Areas Association as they pledge leadership and advocacy for climate solutions across the country. We pledge to do the same with our respective state advocacy efforts.”
“Ski Vermont’s 20 alpine and 30 cross country member areas collectively form a $1.6B industry, with two thirds of direct spending occurring in their surrounding communities,” Ski Vermont President Molly Mahar said. “The ski industry is not only an important economic driver, it is an integral part of Vermont’s history, culture and lifestyle. We recognize that climate change is a threat, so as we work toward expanded energy efficiency and other solutions to mitigate climate change in our small state, it is critical that we join with other ski states and regions across the country to advance the national conversation and to seek creative solutions.”
Other ski trade associations united in support of the climate partnership include Colorado Ski Country USA, Ski Utah, Ski California, Ski Areas of New York, Ski New Mexico and the Pacific Northwest Ski Areas Association.
See also: Vermont ski areas at forefront of sustainability efforts within the industry
The Outdoor Business Climate Partnership is the first-ever broad collaboration among the trade groups, who now stand united in working to mobilize their memberships to increase action on climate change. The group will join forces to support the passage of comprehensive, bipartisan climate legislation in Congress, the adoption of market-based policies that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and decarbonization of the grid through state and utility level initiatives.
“Outdoor Industry Association and our members have a two-part effort to addressing climate change. Over the last decade, we’ve led the way in developing tool sets to reduce the environmental impacts of the products we sell. These efforts have been adopted by major retailers and brands in the outdoor industry. In tandem, we use our industry’s unified voice to support impactful policies at the state and federal level,” said Amy Roberts, OIA Executive Director. “Our efforts can be magnified by coming together with these other associations to collaborate and bring a stronger voice to the table in hopes of amplifying our impact in addressing this global issue.”
“As three associations representing outdoor retailers, brands, suppliers, and resorts across the country, we share a common desire to see progress on climate and are joining hands to amplify our impact. This kind of bold collaboration and commitment is what’s needed now if we’re going to effectively tackle this urgent issue,” said SIA’s President, Nick Sargent.
“This new partnership is an important milestone in NSAA’s continuing efforts to lead on climate change solutions,” says Kelly Pawlak, NSAA President and CEO. An ‘all hands on deck’ approach is essential in meeting a challenge as significant as climate change, and together we‘ll have a stronger voice to drive change inside and outside of the outdoor recreation industry,” said Pawlak.
The announcement was made at the 2019 Outdoor Retailer Show Snow, the annual gathering of the outdoor and snow sports industries in Denver.
# # #
Ski Vermont (Vermont Ski Areas Association) is a non-for-profit trade organization serving its 20 Alpine and 30 Cross Country member ski areas and resorts in three main areas: Governmental Affairs, Marketing and Public Affairs. A proud ambassador of the winter tourism industry in Vermont, where the legislature has designated skiing and snowboarding as the official state sports, Ski Vermont’s mission is to help foster a social, economic and legislative environment in which the state's ski areas can grow and prosper. Access the resort finder, conditions, news, events and more at www.SkiVermont.com.
