Company is ahead of schedule to meet its
emissions goals and on track to reach zero waste to landfill and
zero net operating impact to forests and habitat by
2030
BROOMFIELD, Colo., Jan. 23,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:
MTN), announced the release of its 2022/23 Environmental &
Social Responsibility Report. In 2017, Vail Resorts announced
Commitment to Zero, a bold goal to achieve a zero net
operating footprint by 2030, including zero net emissions, zero
waste to landfill, and zero net operating impact to forests and
habitat.
The company shared it is ahead of schedule to reach its
emissions goals, and on track for the broader goal of reaching a
zero net operating footprint by 2030.
With a commitment to make its mountain resorts more sustainable
and inclusive, the company has made progress across all four
pillars of its Responsibility program: Sustainability,
investing in the future of the industry through Inclusive
Access, providing Community Support, and supporting its
team members through the Employee Foundation.
Vail Resorts' 2022/23 Environmental & Social Responsibility
Report shares how the company is delivering on its EpicPromise,
making major strides over the past year. Key highlights include the
following:
- Achieved 100% renewable electricity for the second consecutive
year across the company's 37 North American resorts.
- Achieved energy efficiency goal ahead of the company's 2030
target, driven by $10 million in
on-mountain energy-saving investments since 2018.
- Reduced landfill waste by 6.1 million pounds (36%) from the
company's baseline.
- Hosted nearly 11,300 underrepresented youth last year, many
from major metropolitan areas such as New
York City, Boston,
Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit, surpassing the company's 2022/23
youth access goal by 25%.
- Partnered with 53 nonprofits that provide equitable access by
offering adaptive programming across 30 resorts in the Vail Resorts
network.
- Donated more than $29 million in
community and employee grants to support affordable childcare,
housing, mental health care, disaster relief and more.
- Doubled the investment in mental health care for employees
since 2022.
"We care deeply about our people, the mountains that we have the
privilege to live, work, and play within, and the future of our
industry," said Kirsten Lynch, chief
executive officer of Vail Resorts. "Our responsibility work is
rooted in our commitment to the future. This comes to life through
our bold sustainability goals and using our voice to drive action
on climate change; programs to expand access to our sport; and
support for our employees and mountain resort communities. Progress
cannot be reached alone. I am grateful for the 55,000 team members
across Vail Resorts, and the partnership of hundreds of community
organizations, who are passionate about working together to
preserve the mountains and this sport for generations to come."
SUSTAINABILITY
Vail Resorts continues to use its voice to advocate and drive
action on climate change through leadership on the Mountain
Collaborative for Climate Action and the National Ski Areas
Association, in addition to local, state and federal climate change
advocacy. The company is also focused on making its own operations
more sustainable through Commitment to Zero in the following
areas:
Zero Net Emissions:
- Vail Resorts achieved 100% renewable electricity for
the second consecutive year across its 37 North American
resorts, driven by investments in renewable electricity
development like the large-scale Plum Creek wind farm the company
enabled as well as local renewable electricity programs.
- Vail Resorts also achieved its 15% energy efficiency
savings goal ahead of the company's 2030 target, driven by
$10 million in energy-saving
investments since 2018. Energy-saving projects focused on
snowmaking efficiency improvements, LED lighting retrofits,
facility system and control upgrades, and more, all while improving
operations and the guest experience.
Zero Waste to Landfill:
- Vail Resorts is on track to achieve its zero waste to
landfill goal. The company reduced 6.1 million pounds of waste
from its baseline, resulting in a 36% reduction in waste to
landfill.
Zero Net Operating Impact on Forests and Habitat:
- Vail Resorts is on track to reach its zero net
operating impact on forests and habitat goal. In 2023,
the company worked with the National Forest Foundation to reforest
95 acres outside the company's operating footprint on National
Forest land in Washington,
Oregon, and Wyoming, targeting areas where the landscape
had been impacted by wildfire.
INCLUSIVE ACCESS
Vail Resorts believes the future of the sport is inclusion and
as such, cares deeply about helping remove barriers to skiing and
snowboarding.
A passion for the sport is often ignited at an early age. The
dedicated team at Vail Resorts works with nonprofits to find ways
to welcome kids of all backgrounds. During the 2022/23 winter
season, the company hosted nearly 11,300 underrepresented youth at
32 of its owned and operated resorts, surpassing its 2023 goal by
25%. The nonprofit youth organizations that Vail Resorts
partners with bring kids from major metropolitan areas near the
company's mountain resorts, such as New
York City, Boston,
Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, and Detroit.
Vail Resorts has the largest youth access program of any ski
area operator in North America.
Through its multi-day youth program, the company provides
participants with free lift tickets, equipment rentals, ski and
snowboard lessons, and more. The Katz Amsterdam Foundation, run by
Vail Resorts Executive Chairperson Rob
Katz and his wife, Elana
Amsterdam, provide funding to the company's nonprofit
partners to support transportation and other needs.
In addition to increasing equitable access for youth, adults,
and marginalized populations, the company's inclusive access
programs also support those needing adaptive access due to physical
or mental barriers. The company is proud to partner with 53
nonprofits that provide equitable access by offering adaptive
programming. 30 resorts across Vail Resorts' network have
adaptive access programs. Unveiled at the beginning of the
2023/24 ski and ride season, Vail Resorts' partner, the National
Ability Center (NAC) announced the opening of the McGrath Mountain
Center, a new 9,400 square-foot ADA-accessible facility operated by
the NAC and located at the base of Park City Mountain in
Utah.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
As residents and neighbors, Vail Resorts is committed to helping
its mountain resort communities thrive by partnering with critical
organizations to make an impact. Top priorities include finding
solutions for affordable childcare and housing. The Vail
Resorts Community Impact grant program is one of the many ways the
company partners with, and invests in, the communities in which we
operate.
Relationships built with community leaders allow the company to
understand the unique needs of neighbors and the resources required
to address them. Team members living in each resort community help
decide which organizations receive grants and ensure that
contributions are making a significant impact.
Vail Resorts donated $28.1
million to over 417 nonprofit partners across 31
communities, empowering them to address their highest priority
needs. Organizations such as the Family & Intercultural
Resource Center (FIRC) in Summit County,
Colorado, Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley, Park City
Education Foundation, Sierra Community House, and Lamoille Family
Center received financial support to help meet their respective
missions.
EMPLOYEE FOUNDATION
The EpicPromise Employee Foundation is a public charity designed
to provide Vail Resorts team members with pathways to stability and
access. It is focused on funding educational dreams and helping
employees through moments of personal hardship.
Through the Employee Foundation, $1.1
million in grants were given to employees and their
dependents to bridge moments of personal hardship and pursue
educational endeavors. After severe flooding in Vermont in 2023, Vail Resorts funded disaster
relief, provided aid to employees and helped the community rebuild
roads and infrastructure.
In addition to the Foundation's work, the company is focused on
providing mental health support for employees and their families.
Vail Resorts offers robust mental health resources, including six
free counseling sessions per year for employees, their dependents,
and roommates. The company also offers convenient no-cost tools
including a wellness app, personal coaching, and virtual and
in-person therapy. The company has also added onsite therapists at
several resorts.
Vail Resorts doubled its investment in mental health since
2022. This has resulted in a 12% utilization rate of clinical
resources enterprise-wide, which is an increase from fiscal year
2022 10% utilization rate, and far above the national average of
5%.
Vail Resorts' 2022/23 Environmental & Social Responsibility
Report can be read here.
About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Vail Resorts is a network of the best destination and close-to-home
ski resorts in the world including Vail Mountain, Breckenridge, Park City Mountain, Whistler
Blackcomb, Stowe, and 32
additional resorts across North
America; Andermatt-Sedrun in Switzerland; and Perisher, Hotham, and Falls
Creek in Australia – all available
on the company's industry-changing Epic Pass. We are
passionate about providing an Experience of a Lifetime to our team
members and guests, and our EpicPromise is to reach a zero net
operating footprint by 2030, support our employees and communities,
and broaden engagement in our sport. Our company owns and/or
manages a collection of elegant hotels under the RockResorts brand,
a portfolio of vacation rentals, condominiums and branded hotels
located in close proximity to our mountain destinations, as well as
the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson
Hole, Wyo. Vail Resorts Retail operates more than 250 retail
and rental locations across North
America. Learn more about our company at
www.VailResorts.com, or discover our resorts and pass options
at www.EpicPass.com.
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SOURCE Vail Resorts, Inc.