Aspen One Releases 2024 Sustainability Report
Aspen One published its latest Sustainability Report today, titled “25 Years of Questions.” The report outlines the company’s new sustainability strategy, which is designed to drive systemic shifts and create more rapid solutions to climate change.
The report boldly rejects conventional sustainable business practices like carbon offsets, net zero promises, and an exclusive focus on tracking operational greening, calling those actions complicit with the fossil fuel industry. Instead, Aspen One’s approach is about modelling solutions, amplifying provocative messaging, and leveraging influence. The company aims to promote movement building, and to convene next-generation thinkers to double down on the fight against climate change.
“Net zero, offsets, carbon targets, carbon neutrality. Those aren’t real climate solutions. Proof? As more companies than ever jump on the sustainability train, planet-cooking emissions continue to rise,” said Aspen One SVP of Sustainability Auden Schendler. “What if businesses used influence, voice, and money to drive political change?”
Aspen One’s sustainability strategy is focused on using the company’s unique influence to drive political and systemic change. Tactics to this end include pressuring partners and trade groups, changing the national conversation on carbon taxation and natural gas use, and mobilising the outdoor community and beyond for lobbying power.
While the report showcases examples of how Aspen One has been a leader in modelling solutions to the industry (e.g., a no-new-gas building policy, or how the company’s long term support of Protect Our Winters played a role in passing the largest climate bill in history), its intent is not to measure accomplishments, but to spark ideas that could be replicated on a larger scale.
The company’s first Sustainability Report was released in 1999. For 25 years, Aspen One’s predecessor business unit, Aspen Skiing Company, has relentlessly questioned the status quo of environmentalism. This year marks the first report released from Aspen One, the newly formed parent company of Aspen Skiing Company, Aspen Hospitality and ASPENX
“Our heritage as a leader in promoting environmental solutions continues beyond the report’s 25th year—and now with the expanded reach and resources of Aspen One and its three business units,” said Dave Tanner, Aspen One CEO. “Our new sustainability strategy is intentionally provocative, focusing not on just incremental operational greening, but on driving the broader systemic change that is needed to overcome the greatest challenge of our age.”
The 2024 Sustainability Report is designed to be interactive, with QR codes that take readers to a source page featuring research, examples of Aspen One’s work in action, news articles and ways to get involved.
Team POW Membership for Aspen Snowmass Pass & Lift Ticket Holders
In addition to releasing the 2024 Sustainability Report, Aspen Snowmass announces that its passholders and lift ticket holders are now automatically eligible to become members of Team POW, a climate action community led by Protect Our Winters.
POW’s mission is to engage the snowsports community in the fight against climate change. The organisation has become a powerful organising force for climate action, with alliances of athletes, scientists, brands, and creatives. Aspen One's partnership with POW folds the company into this effort, sparks conversations with guests and among employees and helps drive momentum in the climate movement. As noted in the 2024 Sustainability Report, Aspen One aims “to mobilise its constituents as a version of the lobbying power of the NRA—but on climate.” The company sees POW as that advocacy group, and seeks to harness the might of outdoor enthusiasts to be a reckoning force on climate.
Aspen Snowmass passholders can opt into Team POW membership by simply signing up here on POW’s website. Members will receive tools to participate in impactful climate advocacy, access to POW events and advocacy opportunities, and other benefits.
