Sustainability
Since the 2020 season, the FWT has been implementing a continuous improvement process by committing to a yearly Sustainability program serving long-term goals.
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OUR AMBITION
FWT’s Sustainability strategy focuses on the 3 following goals :
1. Carbon Impact and Mobility
2. Gender Equality
3. Safety
WHAT WE DID IN 2022
1. FWT TO BE CARBON NEUTRAL BY 2028 (Latest 2030)
- Calculate FWT's carbon footprint (scope 1, 2, and 3)
- reduce FWT's emissions in every department
- offset 100% of FWT's travels (staff/media/riders + equipment + filming helicopter)
- For now we offset through MyClimate.org in a reforestation project in Nicaragua (certified plan Vivo project)
- Survey at Xtreme Verbier to understand which transportation means the public is using to come to the event
2. FWT TO PROMOTE A SAFER PRACTICE OF THE SPORT
- Work with a safety education program (WeMountain)
- Provide free e-workshops for :
- Riders (FWT and all Challengers/ Qualifiers /Juniors riders)
- Staffs
- Volunteers
- Organize a public safety workshop at the Verbier Freeride Week and the Xtreme Verbier
- Organize a media safety workshop in Fieberbrunn
- Production of an educational web series with FWT athletes
- Assets production for resorts: production of a video to prevent people to go off pistes without the required equipment and knowledge
- Donation to The Ellie Souter Foundation to support talented young riders through funding initiatives and mental health awareness
3. FWT TO PROMOTE A MORE EQUAL PRACTICE OF THE SPORT
- Creation of a gender equality commission
- Composed of FWT & IFSA staff, judges, coaches, organizers, riders
- Generate a conversation and find solutions with regard to
- Sport development
- Communication
- Governance
- Creation of a platform to encourage girls to ride together - girls just wanna have pow 4 x girls just wanna have pow days in:
- Verbier (2x)
- Kicking Horse
- Fieberbrunn
- Give women more and better visibility through media & content
Visit our Gender Equality webpage for more information about our actions in that field.
Other actions that FWT put in place :
- 1 tree planted per order placed on the FWT webshop
- Efficient waste management system implemented on all stops
- Reduce single-use plastic at the Xtreme Verbier village by making it mandatory that F&B suppliers use reusable or compostable cutlery/containers
- Sustainability tip of the month sent to 5k subscribers (riders/staff/partners)
- Member of the ClimateUnited platform (together with 50 other industry companies)
- Invest 1% of FWT's turnover in sustainability as of winter 2021 - 2022
- 350 pocket ashtrays were distributed at the Xtreme Verbier
SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM AMBASSADORS
Read Manuela's "Sustainability Interview" here
Read Nurià's "Products and Wastes Challenges" article here
Read Arian's "5 Sustainability hacks of the Freeride van-lifer" here
FAQ
Why do you keep on filming competitions with a helicopter?
Drone filming has made huge progress in recent years, but a camera mounted on a helicopter still produces images of a higher quality when it comes to filming riders at high speed. Drone technology continues to improve and the results from the FWT Japan event, that was filmed solely using drones, were very good!
Replacing a helicopter camera with drones does not always mean less carbon emissions. For example, filming an FWT event with drones requires 2 pilots and a technical assistant, as drone battery autonomy is still limited. This means 3 people need to fly to Japan or Alaska instead of just 1 camera operator (working with 1 local helicopter pilot). This leads to a higher carbon impact than the helicopter camera solution.
How did you choose the project through which you are offsetting your carbon emissions?
We chose the reforestation project in Nicaragua after assessing several offsetting platforms and projects and based our decision on the following criteria:
- This project is certified by the Plan Vivo standard which is one of the most credible and established certification frameworks for offsetting projects
- This project is not only about reforestation but also created 3’600 jobs in the San Juan de Limay and Somoto regions of Nicaragua
How can a “world tour” be sustainable?
We do not know the answer to that question yet but we are hoping to reach a carbon neutral status as fast as possible. In this sense, we are launching an impact study to help us make the best possible decisions.
Contact: sustainability@freerideworldtour.com
SUSTAINABILITY PARTNERS :
