TAOS SKI VALLEY, N.M.—Following a dedicated and ongoing effort to enhance sustainability and environmental efforts throughout the resort, Taos Ski Valley received top honors in the 2017 Golden Eagle Awards for Environmental Excellence in the medium-sized ski resort category in April. The awards are the ski industry’s most prestigious honor for recognizing resort environmental programs and projects.
The awards program, presented by SKI Magazine and the National Ski Areas Assn. (NSAA), recognized Taos for its far-reaching environmental efforts, including:
- This year Taos became the first B Corp ski resort in the world. Certified B Corps are required to meet the highest standards of verified economic, social, and environmental performance, and public transparency.
- Taos’ comprehensive and groundbreaking Taos Verde environmental initiatives program, which looks to enhance green business practices and to build a more resilient and sustainable community.
- Taos has taken drastic actions over the past two years to reduce its overall energy consumption by 10.9 percent. The resort is a participant in the NSAA Climate Challenge, and has committed to a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2020. Taos has incorporated geothermal heating and cooling in The Blake at Taos Ski Valley, its new hotel, and has discontinued the sale of disposable plastic bottles in all facilities. Taos offers reusable bottles as an alternative and expects to remove 10,000 plastic bottles from its waste stream annually.
- Taos has partnered with the Taos Community Foundation (TCF) to raise funds for the nonprofit’s mission to build a more creative, caring and thriving community. In 2017, Taos Ski Valley and The Taos Ski Valley Foundation have together given more than $250,000 to TCF.
- On the mountain, Taos pursued forest health projects in partnership with the US Forest Service and The Nature Conservancy to expand skiable terrain while reducing wildfire risk and improving the vital Rio Grande watershed.
“Taos Ski Valley’s commitment to sustainability and efforts to protect the natural beauty of this unique landscape are a source of great pride to me,” said Louis Bacon, a noted conservation philanthropist and owner of Taos Ski Valley and Chairman of The Taos Ski Valley Foundation.
“We are dedicated to mitigating the effects of climate change on our operations and maintaining the health of our mountain ecosystem,” said David Norden, CEO of Taos Ski Valley. “Additionally, we are committed to our local community, our employees and the people who visit Taos. We express this through unwavering transparency, open communication and public investment. We are very proud to be recognized for our hard work, and the people who have helped execute the Taos vision.”
More information about Taos Ski Valley’s sustainability efforts can be found here.
