The rising costs of climate change could make skiing less diverse and more exclusive.

Watching skiers compete almost entirely Artificially made snow at the 2022 Winter Olympics, we found it hard not to think about climate change and what it will mean for the future of the winter sports industry – and who will be able to participate.

As the planet heats, ski areas are becoming more dependent on snowmaking to keep their slopes open. A few degrees of warming could mean more days of snowmaking. Rain instead of snowAnd The shorter seasons. That reduces the operators’ revenue and raises their costs.

These costs are passed on to the visitors through higher lift ticket prices and resort prices. This directly impacts who can afford to ski or snowboard a day.

As resorts’ costs rise, these already expensive sports risk becoming more exclusive and less diverse.

Our Research involves what’s known as Intersectional sustainability in sports – looking at how to ensure they are both inclusive and environmentally sustainable. For ski resorts, intersectional sustainability means acknowledging that climate change may result in the unintended consequence of further entrenching the sports’ lack of diversity, and proactively seeking to prevent that.

Adaptation can be costly and necessary.

Creating artificial snow to adapt to climate change doesn’t come cheap.

Holiday ValleyA small resort in Ellicottville in New York has invested more than $13 million in snowmaking equipment over the past 40 years. In addition to the high costs of energy and labor, there are also the rising costs of piping. Liters of water are being consumed every minute.To run snowmaking machines. Snowmaking machines are becoming more efficient. Overall cost is still substantial.

An Analysis of the outlook for Blue MountainA glimpse into the future is offered by, a ski resort located in Ontario, Canada.

If the world achieves the best-case scenario, it would be the Paris climate agreement goal of limiting warming to under 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F), Blue Mountain’s ski season is to likely shorten by 8% and its snowmaking efforts would have to almost double by 2050. The resort would have to make more snow under less favorable conditions in order to get the best snowmaking conditions. This would result in a 22% reduction in the window of snowmaking weather. These extra costs will likely be reflected in increased costs. Lift ticket and resort costs are higher.

Smaller resorts may have to take out debt in order to finance snowmaking equipment. High leverage ratios are a problem. This has been shown to decrease profitability for ski resorts. Some smaller ski areas offer shut downThis means that there are fewer options for skiing or snowboarding in certain areas. It also reduces competition, which could help to keep prices down.

Resorts already struggle to be diverse

Despite being popular, snowboarding and alpine skiing resorts have been criticised for not offering enough diversity.

According to the report, 69% of skiers and 61% of snowboarders described themselves as Caucasian or White in 2019-20. Snowsports Industries of America. The organization found that participants who are most frequently involved are also less diverse.

An additional survey was conducted by the National Ski Area AssociationA wider range of differences was observed: 87.5% of U.S. visitors that season identified as Caucasian or White, while only 1.5% identified as Black or African American.

The Snowsports Industries of AmericaSurvey also revealed a wealth gap. A wealth gap was also found in the survey. More than 63% and 55% of snowboarders earned more than $75,000, nearly twice the average. Median earningsAmericans.

Some resort corporations include Aspen SnowmassAnd PowdrThey have also committed to increasing diversity at their resorts. Powdr, for example, has community initiatives in its “Play Forever” campaign that include awarding scholarships to help people attend their camps and a partnership with STOKED, a nonprofit that mentors young adults from underserved areas who are interested in board sport.

Amongst many other Corporate-owned Ski ResortsTheir corporate websites lack diversity efforts. Eight resort companies didn’t mention diversity and inclusion, or did not provide evidence of initiatives supporting this effort on their corporate sites.

These results indicate that many snowboarders and skiers will be unable to enjoy the sport due to rising costs of climate adaptation.

Three strategies to increase diversity for the future

Management practices can change as the climate changes to ensure that the slopes remain accessible.

Engaging with and partnering in community organizations that emphasize diversity and inclusion is an effective strategy. Powdr can work with community organizations to connect with youth who are disadvantaged and introduce them to skiing and snowboarding.

Ski resorts can also work directly with non-profits such as the National Brotherhood of SkiersThe mission of the, which is to support and develop athletes of color in winter sports and communities that are underrepresented in the mountain, is to understand how climate adaptation decisions may have the unintended consequence, of further entrenching inequalities.

Resort corporations can also increase their connections to diverse communities by increasing diversity in leadership and creating senior leadership positions responsible for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Ski resorts have a greater chance of making snow sports more accessible by including diverse communities in climate adaptation discussions.