February 7, 2024 Winter sports industry unites around new Climate Pact

The Winter Sports Sustainability Network (WSN), managed by Peak 63 and the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI), announces the establishment of a transformative Climate Pact, bringing together prominent ski, snowboard, binding, and boot brands in a unified commitment to accelerate climate action within the winter sports industry.

The winter sports industry is highly affected by climate change, but also acknowledges its role in the global environmental challenges through the products, value chains, activities and travels it generates. In fact the industry, its customers, and the athletes it sponsors, all emit greenhouse gases. By signing the Climate Pact, the industry aims to publicly formalize its commitment to addressing climate change and achieving a net-zero carbon emissions future.

For this purpose, the WSN will seek to help align the industry along the following five principles:

“While our industry cannot tackle the global climate challenge on its own it still has a part to play, the hardgoods industry decided not to sit on the sidelines and wait for others to act and watch the snow literally melt away,” explains Jérôme Pero, Secretary General of FESI,

“Therefore, we collectively decided to sit at the drawing boards and act. FESI is happy to be part of such a critical initiative.”

On the other side of the Atlantic, Snowsports Industries America (SIA) President Nick Sargent shares similar sentiments:

“Given the global nature of the winter sports industry, it’s imperative that we tackle climate change on a global scale. SIA and WSN co-developed the Climate Pact in 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.”

Bold, collective climate action

The Climate Pact unites the winter sports industry to address the climate crisis head-on and take decisive action to meet the goals set forth in the Paris Agreement. Through this collective initiative, WSN acknowledges the industry’s vulnerability to global warming, using its brand recognition and industry organizations to propel systemic change.

“We are most excited about sharing a common mindset on sustainability with the Winter Sports Network, and laying down the foundation for the ski experience we’ve all been waiting for,” shares Isabelle Guyader, Head of Sustainability for Sports&Products, Decathlon.

“What an opportunity to put heads together from a diversity of horizons, share methods, projects and most importantly : a vision!”

The industry climate pact is currently signed by the following member brands: Atomic, Black Crows, Blizzard, Burton, Capita, Dalbello, Decathlon, Elan, Fischer, Jones Snowboards, International Biathlon Union, K2, Kästle, Marker, OneWay, Rossignol, Salomon, Stöckli, Tecnica, The Nidecker Group, and Völkl.

Photos: FESI