SYgle>Industry Information>Taos Ski Valley Receives B Corporation Certification

Taos Ski Valley Receives B Corporation Certification

Column: industry Tag: Taos Ski Valley Published: 2017-03-02 13:37 Source: Author:

Taos Ski Valley says it is the first ski resort in the world to become a Certified B Corporation® (B Corp) by thoroughly demonstrating its commitment to deliberate and thoughtful social, economic and environmental actions. Certified B Corps are required to meet the highest standards of verified economic, social and environmental performance, and public transparency. The B Corp certification further underscores Taos Ski Valley’s investment in the people who live in Northern New Mexico, its commitment to a sustainable economic future, its stewardship of the natural environment, and respect for the visitors who come to experience the area’s beauty and mystique.

The performance standards Taos has met are comprehensive, transparent and verified, and going forward, the resort is both ethically and legally required to consider the impact of its decisions on all their stakeholders, a move the company welcomes.

“Louis Bacon, the owner of Taos Ski Valley and a lifelong conservation philanthropist, has been completely supportive of these efforts as the long-held values of Taos are being validated with this certification,” said David Norden, CEO of TSV, Inc. “The people who live and work at Taos Ski Valley have long known about our commitment to the community and our investments in the ongoing health of our mountain ecosystem. Visitors that choose Taos Ski Valley for their next vacation will be doing so with the knowledge that they’re supporting the ethics and commitment of a Certified B Corporation.”

Patagonia Welcomes Resort to B Corps Community

“Patagonia is thrilled to welcome Taos Ski Valley to the global community of 2,000+ B Corps using business as a force for good,” said Shaun Willhite, Patagonia, corporate and team sales. “Taos Ski Valley is the first ski area to become a Certified B Corporation, and by doing so, they demonstrate to everyone in the ski industry their commitment to their customers, employees, community, and environment.”

“B Lab welcomes Taos Ski Valley into the B Corp community with open arms,” said Andrew Kassoy, B Lab Cofounder. “We hope Taos Ski Valley sets a new standard in skiing and adventure travel in which resorts, visitors and locals work together for preservation of the environment, economic prosperity for all, and stewardship of common values.”

“Cheers to Taos Ski Valley for joining us in the B Corp movement and providing travelers with an opportunity to vote with their wallets,” said Katie Wallace, Assistant Director of Sustainability for New Belgium Brewing. “All of us in the B Corp community are committed to delivering products and experiences that people around the world can feel good about purchasing because of our dedication to sustainability and making responsible business decisions.”

Key initiatives that were critical to Taos Ski Valley’s B Corp certification include its Taos Verde initiative, which is the cornerstone of its environmental efforts; its significant investment in the surrounding community for better economic prosperity for all; and its commitment to fair wages and a positive work environment for all employees.

Highlights of the Taos Verde program include:
•Committing to a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2020. From 2014 to 2016, Taos reduced its emissions by 10.9 percent through various initiatives including advanced energy-efficiency snowmaking systems, the growing use of electric vehicles, and local food sourcing for the resort’s food and beverage operations.
•Demonstrable land stewardship actions including healthy forest initiatives in partnership with the United States Forest Service and The Nature Conservancy.
•Particular attention paid to maintaining water quality, river restoration, water use reduction and green building fundamentals.
•An advanced geothermal system for the heating and cooling at the resort’s newest hotel, The Blake at Taos Ski Valley.
•Waste reduction and recycling initiatives that include the use of reusable dining ware in its food and beverage outlets and the Hydrate Locally, Help Globally program which offers water refill stations throughout the resort to significantly reduce the number of single use plastic water bottles and eventually eliminate them entirely.

To help the local community achieve greater economic growth, Taos Ski Valley made a multi-million dollar investment in fiber optics and communications for the benefit of all. Additionally, Taos Ski Valley collaborates with and celebrates the diversity of the local community, which is reflected in its staff. The company provides a $10 per hour minimum wage for even entry-level workers, while the state’s minimum wage is $7.50 per hour. It also adheres to a wage benchmark to ensure employees’ wages are competitive in the industry while providing perks such as free employee transportation that benefit staff and the environment.

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