Sustainable development
LET’S PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
LA ROSIERE ESPACE SAN BERNARDO TAKES SEVERAL INITIATIVES FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
La Rosière Espace San Bernardo is taking several environmental initiatives La Rosière – Espace San Bernardo is located at the gateway to the Vanoise national park in the French Savoy region. The resort
continues to act to preserve the natural treasures found there. By increasing its interventions over the coming years, La Rosière is committed to reconciling tourist activities and sustainable development..
Reducing energy consumption
The Ski Resorts and Ski Area have been implementing actions to offer an unforgettable experience to all of their holidaymakers and reduce their energy consumption at the same time. The Ski Resort of La Rosière and the ski lifts will open from the 10th of December 2022 to the 22nd of April 2023 as planned. Here are some of the measures implemented in La Rosière this 18th of October 2022.
En route to Flocon Vert certification
The ‘Flocon Vert’ (the green snowflake) is a label awarded to mountain destinations which can demonstrate a commitment towards sustainable tourism. This label has been developed by the Mountain Riders not-for-profit
to help mountain-lovers identify the most environmentally friendly tourist destinations. Picking a ski resort that’s been awarded the Flocon Vert is a way of supporting responsible tourism. La Rosière and its various stakeholders began the process to obtain the Flocon Vert label in June 2022. It’s hoped this process will bear fruit by spring 2023. If the bid is successful, it will attest to the resort’s commitment to quality and ongoing improvement in its various activities as measured according to some twenty different criteria across 4 categories: governance and destination, local economy, social and cultural, natural resources and ecologies.
Commited for the long term
The resort is committed to planting 1500 trees over 3 years. The shoots come from Bourg Saint Maurice (15km away) and this initiative is accomplished by a partnership with the ONF (National Office of Forests) and a budget of €8000/year.
Why plant trees? Trees are natural regulators of our ecosystem, they purify the atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing back oxygen. Their foliage and root systems filter water. They play a stabilizing role for the soil by avoiding erosion whilst also sheltering various forms of flora and fauna. By releasing water vapor into the atmosphere, trees also participate towards regulating extreme temperature differences. This phenomenon impacts the degree of local humidity and helps against extreme climate variations.
The environmental road map
It has 16 eco-commitments to preserve the mountain with concrete measures in terms of climate and greenhouse gas emissions, water management, protection of biodiversity and preservation of landscapes.
One of the objectives set by French ski areas is to achieve carbon neutrality, from 2037, with zero CO2 emissions.
More info here
Preservation of fragile natural areas
La Rosière ski area is also committed to protecting fragile natural environments and species such as the black grouse (fauna) and the Alpine Lycopod (flora). Since 2014, it even has its own environmental observatory! More information on the ski area’s website.
Travelling green = cheaper skipasses
The principal contributor of greenhouse gasses from a ski resort (57%)* is the transport of people towards their holiday destination… one more reason to choose the train, the only carbon-free solution. La Rosière is mindful of the ecological impact that its activity can cause on the environment and promotes offers to attract people into arriving by more ecological transportation. For all the travellers arriving by train at the Bourg Saint Maurice train station, a 15% reduction is offered off their next 2 day or longer Espace San Bernardo lift pass**; Direct TGV trains from Paris connect in 5 hours with Bourg Saint Maurice. By looking after the planet, La Rosière is looking after its visitors.
**More info : larosiere.ski
The zero waste charter
The Tourist Office of La Rosiere, aware of the challenges of sustainable development, is committed to the fight against waste with the establishment of an internal charter in order to gradually move towards zero waste.
La Rosière tourisme has also signed a green energy contract. Indeed all of its premises are powered only by electricity produced by renewable energy sources (hydraulic, wind or photovoltaic) produced in France.
More info on our zero waste charter (french only)
A green network of artificial snow
The Espace San Bernardo (on the La Thuile side) was the first ski area in the world to harness its network of artificial snow to produce clean and renewable energy, with the implementation in 2016 of an innovative hydroelectric program. Over 3 years, the ski area of La Thuile has produced more than 4.8 million kWh (4.8 GWh) uniquely from the power of the water that is circulated through its artificial snow network.
This was a technical challenge and shows once again how the ski area operators and the businesses in the sector are constantly investing and innovating to protect the mountains where they work and live all year.
Paying attention to pastoral issues
The La Rosière Ski Area is a Beaufort PDO area where tarp cows, abundant and sheep graze all summer long in the mountain pastures.
While winter is devoted to the joys of skiing, summer gives way to grazing and farming.
This division of the territory thus allows an economic dynamism of the resort all year round.
See the measures taken.