Consensio: working to make luxury ski holidays more sustainable

EcoSki: We love that your commitment to sustainability is so clearly signposted. How long has it been in place and is there more to come?

Consensio: We issued our first sustainability policy in 2017, we are now committed to calculating our carbon footprint per guest/per property annually. This will enable us to see where we can make improvements, set meaningful targets year on year, and then look to see if we have achieved them. Initially working with Protect Our Winters (POW) to make a public pledge about our plans, we are now working with the carbon consultants at ecollective to do the calculations and help us set realistic improvements for the next winter.

ES: What led you to want to increase your commitment to sustainability at Consensio?

C: Both the company shareholders and employees are very conscious of their impact on this planet. Operating a luxury product means that we must make every effort to minimise our carbon footprint, perhaps even more so than other activities.

ES: Congrats on taking the POW Pledge and encouraging your suppliers to look at it, too. We know it’s hard work and very involved — no greenwashing allowed. What was the most challenging part?

C: Signing up was the hardest part, since then we have been guided every step of the way, enabling us to make meaningful but realistic pledges for the future.

ES: Luxury (as you admit) doesn’t have the best image in terms of environment and sustainability. Are many of your guests looking for more environmental responsibility from you?

C: Our clients now expect sustainability measures as standard, like expecting WIFI to be provided when holidaying.

 

 

ES: We would imagine that many guests at the luxury end fly by private jet/helicopter, private taxis etc. Is that a smaller proportion than those of us who don’t enjoy the privilege of luxury travel would imagine? Do you encourage guests to offset their travel in any way, or do you provide incentives for them to travel by train / electric car?

C: The percentage split of how Consenio’s clients travelled to their ski holiday this last winter (2021/22) is as follows: scheduled airline 50%, private jet 15%, helicopter 5%, train 5%, self-drive 25%. The number of self-driving clients has increased greatly in recent years. We tell all clients that all our properties have parking facilities and many have EV chargers, so self-driving (especially self-driving an electric vehicle) is not only possible, but practical if they are wanting more freedom with their travel. Our clients come from all over the world so often logistics and practicalities limit their travel choices, however where it has been possible, we’ve noticed a shift towards our guests opting for more eco-friendly travel options.

ES: Your goals are impressive and comprehensive – can you expand on any of them, such as renewables and electric car charging? How many chalets to go with these?

C: All our new chalets have EV chargers for electric vehicles and we have asked all our other property owners to install them where possible. Based on our guidance and requests, and their own understanding of the increased demand from guests and our future requirements, they have all responded positively and are getting them installed as soon as practicable.

Renewables is an interesting question as EDF in France is predominantly (78%) provided by nuclear power so is much cleaner than other countries. But they are increasing renewable capacity. In 2016 EDF’s chief executive Jean-Bernard Lévy stated that EDF’s 2030 strategy increased the emphasis on renewable energy, with a 2030 goal of doubling renewable energy capacity worldwide.

We are most keen to receive the results from our work this summer with ecollective, who are calculating our carbon footprint per client/per property for the past 12 months. We will then plan meaningful changes which we will execute over the next 12 months before our next audit, which will enable us to quantify reductions made.

We work hard to ensure staff are doing as much as possible, wherever possible. They are encouraged to consider train travel where feasible, and it is company policy to book staff flights with companies that provide carbon offsetting as standard. We ensure car share/use of public transport for chalet teams to get to work in their resorts. We measure company vehicle fuel usage, and are committed to offering zero-emission vehicles for our in-resort guest chauffeur service by 2026. We would have preferred to have started this earlier, but this is based on the supplier availability of suitable in-resort 4×4 vehicles.

ES: We know you are very well established and respected in the resorts you operate. How much do you believe environmental / sustainability initiatives run within these resorts and do they encourage companies to operate in a more responsible way — are some better than others?

C: We have always had positive communication from resorts when discussing their eco initiatives, and it is clearly on the radar of each resort which is fantastic. While we aren’t in a position to compare one against another we are really encouraged to see the work they are all doing. For example, the Three Valleys Lift Company has been using 100% green electricity for more than 10 years. Recycling is already easy and commonplace in most resorts — in Méribel, for example, it is mandatory. Méribel and Courchevel also provide a free shuttle service between different ski areas to reduce car emissions within the resort.

Val d’Isère was awarded the Green Globe label in 2016 and since 2012, Val d’Isère Téléphériques has been using green electricity to power the ski lifts and snow guns, and they have a state-of-the-art snow factory to ensure all snowmaking is as efficient as possible.

ES: After the sourcing of our kit, the food and drink consumed in the Alps is something EcoSki worries about. We’re delighted to see your emphasis on local producers — how do you take care to source the likes of fish (incl smoked salmon, caviar), avocados and do you stock New World wines, too? Are you also planning to compost/tackle food waste? As this is another biggie, we know.

C: We source our incredible fresh produce from local independent sellers where possible, allowing us to invest in the local community. As such we provide fresher and better-tasting ingredients and reduce our carbon footprint as a company. Delicious cheeses and fresh bread are collected by hand from the nearby fromagerie and boulangeries. Vegetables are sourced from the local farmers’ market and meat from local farmers as we believe in supporting our neighbouring small businesses in the Alps and serving locally grown ingredients.

Wine is sourced from a local company Verre Gourmand. We have specifically chosen all but one of our wines from France with one of our wines made in the Savoie region. Our fish is sourced from the local fishmongers that travel up to our resorts twice a week with their freshly caught produce. All other purchases we try to make online with delivery options rather than our operation teams needing to make multiple trips down the mountain.

Read more about Consensio’s commitments to sustainability by visiting consensiochalets.co.uk/eco-ski/