Major tour operator Sunweb has announced that from now on, all of the holiday packages sold by Sunweb and its partners will be carbon neutral. This is made possible in partnership with various independently verified projects that meet international standards, including wind farms in India that power renewable energy. According to Sunweb, no extra costs will be transferred to customers as a result of holidays being carbon-neutral. Sunweb is one of the first travel providers to take such a step.
Ending climate change with Sunweb?
Sunweb is a major tour operator in the skiing industry, which is inherently a sensitive industry when it comes to climate change. On the one hand, many skiers and snowboarders care passionately about their CO2 emissions, since they realise that climate change is already causing shorter ski seasons and questionable snow cover. On the other hand, ski holidays often involve travelling long distances by plane or train, staying in heated accommodation, and using lift infrastructure and artificial snow cannons that take their toll on the environment. On their website, Sunweb states that although carbon neutrality is not a be-all-end-all solution to climate change, it is one step that the company can take in order to assume responsibility for our emissions. Sunweb will provide carbon offsets for flights, transfers and accommodation in partnership with ClimateCare.
Sustainability and environmental awareness in the skiing industry
Sunweb is not the only skiing company to look at how to curb carbon emissions during ski holidays. A plethora of companies have already started developing sustainable ski gear and accessories, and ski resorts around the world are delving into green energy and other ways to cut carbon emissions. Train travel is becoming increasingly popular as a more environmentally friendly way of getting to ski resorts in the Alps - even from the UK. Tour operators are a little slower off the mark, but for now, this is welcome news from Sunweb. The company serves more than one million customers per year, representing a significant portion of the winter sports industry.
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About Danielle
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!