Jonathon Berman, jonathon.berman@sierraclub.org
NEW YORK, NY - On Tuesday, September 23, the Sierra Club, the State University of New York (SUNY) and Dartmouth College will host a panel discussion during Climate Week NYC titled: Skiing and Sustainability: Achieving Scope 1 and Scope 2 Net-zero Emissions.
Perhaps no industry is more at risk from rising global temperatures than the ski industry. Boyne Resorts owns 10 ski resorts and will discuss its ForeverProject, which aims to achieve net-zero emissions across North American operations by 2030. Dartmouth College, whose more than $500 million campus-wide Dartmouth Climate Collaborative initiative includes decarbonization of the Dartmouth Skiway, will discuss its efforts to substantially reduce direct emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions. In addition, Dartmouth and SUNY, which includes Stony Brook University’s New York Climate Exchange, will highlight academic research about the planet’s changing climate, and how their work relates to the ski industry. New York has the most ski areas of any state (52), has hosted the Olympics twice, and owns and operates four ski areas.
When: Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. ET
Where: Zoom (link below) or in-person at the SUNY Global Center, York, NY 10022, 116 E 55th St, New
Registration: https://www.climateweeknyc.org/events/skiing-and-sustainability-achieving-scope-1-and-2-net-zero-emissions
SUNY Webinar Link: : https://suny-edu.zoom.us/j/84911022570; Webinar ID 849 1102 2570
SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
Wayne Arden, Vice Chair, Sierra Club New York City Group
Tom Bradley, VP of Sustainability, Boyne Resorts
Caitlin E. Hicks Pries, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth
Josh Keniston, Senior Vice President for Operations, Dartmouth
Carter Strickland, Chief Sustainability Officer and Executive Director of Climate Action, The State University of New York
In advance of the event, event participants released the following statements -
Wayne Arden, Vice Chair, Sierra Club NYC Group:
“Ski resorts are complex facilities that use electricity to power lifts and make snow, maintain buildings for skiers and lodgers, and manage extensive land and water resources. Skiing is a globally significant industry comprising some 2,000 ski areas and resorts in 68 countries, responsible for many billions of dollars in tourism revenues. However, this event is about more than skiing. If the ski industry in New York and elsewhere follow Boyne Resorts and Dartmouth’s leading examples in reducing emissions, then the industry can become a shining light for other industries to follow. In New York, lessons learned from reducing emissions at ski resorts can be applied to other economic sectors, helping to achieve the Climate Act (Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act) 2050 net-zero emissions goal.”
Tom Bradley, VP of Sustainability, Boyne Resorts:
“Boyne Resorts operates resorts across North America and recognizes that human driven climate change is an urgent issue for the world and most certainly for the Snowsports industry. In 2021, we established our aggressive 2030 net zero carbon emissions commitment as a critical step to protecting the beautiful places where we live, work, and play. A focus on continued collaboration for carbon reduction solutions and climate policy advocacy is important both within and outside the ski industry, to ensure our communities and business continue to thrive.”
Caitlin Hicks E. Pries, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth:
“Ski areas can partner with researchers to help with climate mitigation and adaptation. For mitigation, ski areas often own or lease large land areas that they can better manage to sequester carbon–a natural climate solution. For adaptation, winter weather and snow cover are becoming increasingly erratic, so researchers can help ski areas make better snow cover projections to inform snowmaking operations. And at academic institutions, students can assist with this research to train the next generation of climate leaders.”
Josh Keniston, Senior Vice President for Operations, Dartmouth:
“Dartmouth’s rural location in northern New England means that we are especially focused on resilient, common-sense solutions that work in a cold climate. We see the evolution of our energy system to one that is place-based, highly efficient and low carbon as a practical choice. Our students choose Dartmouth in part because of our incredible environment and our commitment to long term stewardship of it. The Climate Collaborative is about bringing together this identity, the operational work we do on our own campus, and the academic work, the research and teaching that our faculty and students do to elevate and accelerate the impact that we're having on addressing climate change.”
Carter Strickland, Chief Sustainability Officer and Executive Director of Climate Action, State University of New York:
“SUNY has an all-hands-on-deck sustainability strategy, including converting our buildings and fleets from fossil fuels to electricity, advancing research on innovative renewable energy, storage, and materials technology, and providing climate education and hands-on training for our students. We are looking forward to hosting a discussion on the important topic of how to best decarbonize the skiing industry and how skiing can influence all industries.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.
About Dartmouth:
Dartmouth College is a private university, founded in 1769. A member of the Ivy League, Dartmouth educates the most promising students and prepares them for a lifetime of learning and of responsible leadership. Dartmouth has a long, prominent role in the history of American skiing, producing countless prominent ski alumni, Olympians and members of the US Ski Team, as well as hosting the very first intercollegiate ski race on Mt. Moosilauke in 1927. In 2024, Dartmouth made a commitment to invest more than $500 million in climate-related capital improvements, with campus becoming a living lab as the projects become drivers of new research, teaching, and collaboration.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.