Laax: Skiing's Green Future Unveiled

The Swiss resort of Laax is charting a course for a sustainable future in winter sports, targeting carbon neutrality by 2030. This ambitious goal involves eliminating oil use, ensuring all energy generation is sustainable, and achieving zero food waste. Laax is already ahead of many in addressing climate change criticisms leveled at the ski industry.

The resort's CEO, Reto Gurtner, whose father built the first ski lifts in 1962, has evolved the resort's ethos into what he calls "greenstyle." This vision is evident in new infrastructure, such as the neighboring village of Flims's ski lift. This lift features an on-demand gondola system that uses a complex algorithm to dispatch individual cabins based on real-time passenger demand and destination choices, optimizing energy efficiency.

Laax is also mitigating snow dependency. For instance, halfpipe and freestyle snow needs are met with hydropower. The resort utilizes snow cannons, but crucially, these cannons use water without chemical or biological additives. Coupled with sustainable power sources and electric piste-grooming machinery, this method of snow production is less environmentally damaging than often perceived.

The area also boasts a return of wildlife, with wolves and lynx reappearing, partly aided by climate change. While conflicts with farmers exist, these populations are growing. The resort and its neighbors, like Falera, are exploring various paths to sustainability, from technological advancements to more traditional, less frenetic approaches.