What does the Ski Club do?

• The Ski Club issued their Environmental Policy in 2004 and soon after launched the Respect The Mountain campaign with the aim of helping to safeguard the natural environment and the long-term future of snowsports.
• The Ski Club’s Environmental Policy is as follows: To seek to improve the environmental performance of the Club and its members in a way that helps safeguard the natural environment and the long-term future of skiing, and of the Club itself.
• As well as developing the 'Seven Steps' guide for skiers and snowboarders, and offering best practice guides for resorts, resort staff, and tour operators, the Ski Club has achieved the following:

Policy and practice at the Ski Club of Great Britain

• An environmental audit of the Ski Club's offices was performed to aim to reduce energy use and to increase recycling.
• At the Ski Club clubhouse we recycle paper, cardboard and printer cartridges. We also use recycled paper and printer cartridges. Low-wattage light bulbs are used where possible and all Ski Club literature is printed on paper from a certified sustainable source. The majority of staff members either cycle, walk or get public transport to work, and the office participates in the Ride 2 Work scheme.

Raising money and awareness

The Respect the Mountain campaign has donated £34,354.22 to date. This money came from the following sources:

• £6,816.22 was raised from the sale of Respect the Mountain wristbands
• £27,538 was raised from the Club's membership environmental levy of 50p per subscription

The Ski Club supports projects which will have a direct and visible impact in mountain environments and snowsports

Projects may relate to responsible tourism, environmental awareness, sustainable of renewable local energy sources, sustainable snowsports, pollution, travel within mountain areas, habitat, wildlife, hydrogeology, snow cover or biodiversity. Research study proposals are also considered which can be considered to be preliminary, but likely to lead on to specific projects.

Suitable projects are researched and identified by the Club's volunteer Environment Working Group, (EWG) which makes recommendations to Council.

The campaign has made donations in the following areas:

• Woodland Trust tree planting scheme - £7500 donation to plant 600 indigenous forest trees in Britain. A further £1500 donated this year.
• Research project by James Lewis, entitled "Sustainable Alpine Tourism: the British Ski Industry's Role in Developing Sustainability in the French Alps" - £4250 download the full report as a pdf
• Eco-boxes through Summit foundation in Verbier, Switzerland - £816.22 
• Makesnowsportsgreener campaign and snowsports sustainability and resort makeover - £4000 
• "The Big Spring Clean" - Scottish resort clean up day. This year's cost was £2600 
• The Eco-guide to Mountain Gear - £1788
• Ski Club Leaders Train Travel subsidy of £100 each to encourage travel by train has been popular. 23 Leaders took it up this year. Cost £2300.
• Freshtracks is including train travel options to Les Arcs for members in this year's holiday programme. The EWG is allocating £1600 to help keep the travel costs comparable with plane travel. 
• Disposable ashtrays have been handed out in resorts by Club Leaders - £1500
• The Chamonix Lac Blanc Refuge hydroelectric project has been approved in principle. This project is to replace an aging and polluting diesel generator. Cost £7500.
• The historic Britannia Hut near Saas Fee was built many years ago with the help of the Club. Solar panels  have been installed to help save fuel, water supplies and environmentally intrusive heli lifts - £3000
• Researchers at Bristol University are looking into the role of micro-organisms in snow, and how snow longevity and possibly snowfall is affected. The Club has given a grant of £4000.
• We have commissioned snowcarbon to provide the Club with ongoing information on 'green travel'. This will be included in the Green Travel section and help members to plan journeys by rail. Cost £850

Awards

• The Respect the Mountain campaign was jointly awarded the Lucy Dicker Award in 2005 which acknowledges innovation and outstanding contribution to the ski industry. The award is presented annually by the resort of Les Arcs in the memory of Lucy Dicker, an intrepid skier who tragically lost her life in the French resort of La Grave.
• In 2006 the Respect the Mountain campaign was ‘highly commended’ in the First Choice 2006 Responsible Tourism Awards, being recognised by the travel industry for its work in increasing awareness about green issues and snowsports as well as raising money for environmental projects.