Vail Resorts Advances Toward Zero Net Operating Footprint

Released today, Vail Resorts’ 2020/21 EpicPromise Progress Report tracks the company’s industry-leading commitment to preserving the environment, addressing the most urgent needs of mountain communities, and supporting employees. Major achievements over the past year include:
 

• Vail Resorts is on track to reach zero net emissions by 2030. The large-scale wind farm the company enabled has been producing clean electricity since June 2020, allowing Vail Resorts to reach 85 percent renewable electricity across its 34 North American resorts this year. That number is expected to rise again in 2023 after the Elektron Solar project comes online, which broke ground October 2021.
• The company donated $19.4 million to 150 local organizations working to address the top priorities of the communities where Vail Resorts operates – from supporting critical needs like food and housing assistance and childcare, to youth access programs and forest health.
• The EpicPromise Employee Foundation provided $1.72 million in emergency relief grants and scholarships to team members, including $440,000 in educational scholarships for employees and their dependents.

 
“Vail Resorts has remained dedicated to protecting the environment, supporting our employees, and investing in our mountain communities, even amid unprecedented challenges,” said Kirsten Lynch, chief executive officer at Vail Resorts. “With the release of our fourth annual EpicPromise Progress Report, Vail Resorts achieved industry-leading sustainability progress, expanded access to the outdoors for those who may not have otherwise had the opportunity, and supported our employees through unexpected challenges and continued education. Our company’s core values serve as our roadmap as we continue to advance our bold goals together, toward a healthy, inclusive and more sustainable future.”
 
Mitigating the impacts of climate change through Commitment to Zero
 
Vail Resorts launched Commitment to Zero in 2017—a bold goal to achieve a zero net operating footprint by 2030 through zero net emissions, zero waste to landfill, and zero net operating impact on forests and habitat. The company remains on track to reach each of these pillars.
 
In June 2020, the Plum Creek Wind project which Vail Resorts enabled came online. This electricity, plus energy from local renewable programs, addressed 85 percent of the company’s North American electricity use during 2020/21. Additionally, despite the temporary switch to single-use items in order to help keep guests and employees safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company composted and recycled 9.8 million pounds of waste and reduced total waste by 483 tons compared to the previous season.
 
In June 2021, alongside Alterra Mountain Company, Boyne Resorts, and POWDR, Vail Resorts announced the Climate Collaborative Charter, the ski industry’s first unified effort to combat climate change with shared commitments around sustainability and advocacy.