Insights from FIS’s latest webinar series: Turning sustainability guidance into action
Dec 11, 2025·Inside FIS
Advancing sustainable outcomes together, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has run a series of webinars over the past year to introduce and complement FIS’s suite of sustainability guides.
Local Organizing Committees (LOCs), National Ski Associations (NSAs), and the broader snow sports community participated and played an instrumental role in shaping this series. Participants had the opportunity to learn from each other’s hands-on experiences and provide feedback to inform future topics.
“I have found the webinars extremely valuable. They have helped us understand where we stand, both as a ski resort and as a national ski association. The content has provided clear guidance and practical knowledge that we can apply to improve our sustainability efforts.” - Victor Torres, Head of Sustainability, Environment, and Accessibility FIS Ski World Cup Soldeu Grandvalira
The guides covered in this series include:
Snowball Sustainability Guide
Sustainability Communication Guide
As the webinar series concludes, FIS is taking this moment to celebrate the publication of its newest sustainability resource: the Waste Management Handbook. Below is an overview of each guide, along with an exclusive first look at this latest addition.
SNOWBALL Sustainability Guide
Small actions can accumulate to achieve big results. This is the core idea behind the SNOWBALL Sustainability Guide.
For example, switching to energy-efficient light bulbs is low-cost in both time and money. Yet this simple act can sustain momentum and lay the groundwork for tackling more complex initiatives. In this case, it could mean cutting fossil-fuel electricity use by half within five years.
The SNOWBALL Sustainability Guide begins with three simple steps that are critical for delivering sustainability results. These steps include:
The appointment of a sustainability manager
The creation of a sustainability committee
The development of a sustainability plan. This plan specifies goals, designates strong leadership, and includes measurable steps (KPIs) to track progress.
Moving forward, the guide maps sustainability initiatives across 11 working areas. These areas include:
Energy: Reduce energy consumption and switch to renewable sources.
Water: Save water through smart management.
Logistics: Cut emissions from moving goods.
Transportation: Lower travel emissions for athletes, spectators, and staff.
Accommodation: Reduce the environmental impact of accommodations.
Procurement: Make sustainable purchasing choices.
Food and Catering: Offer healthy meals while reducing their environmental impact.
Waste Management: Focus on reducing, recycling, and recovering waste, with landfill and incineration as a last resort.
Biodiversity and Nature Conservation: Protect nature by avoiding or mitigating harm to biodiversity.
Communication: Communicate efforts to make snow sports more sustainable.
Community and Legacy: Use events to inspire community engagement and broader climate action.
Click here to access FIS’s SNOWBALL Sustainability Guide.
Sustainability Communication Guide
FIS’s Sustainability Communication Guide draws on the science of effective communication.
When done right, communication is a powerful tool that inspires action, strengthens relationships, and influences behavior.
To achieve these results, communications need to be clear, honest, evidence-based, and foster two-way collaboration. This 10-step communication guide offers a practical framework to deliver on these principles. A summary of each step is provided below:
Step #1: Begin with an assessment of sustainability performance and clearly define communication goals.
Step #2: Understand the audience, their interests, challenges, behaviors, and demographics.
Step #3: Tailor content to meet the audience’s unique needs and share it through the most appropriate platforms.
Step #4: Engage employees to strengthen internal alignment and support.
Step #5: Craft messages around the motivations that drive people to act, tapping into key psychological factors.
Step #6: Use storytelling to spark emotion and build a personal connection with the audience.
Step #7: Prioritize transparency through open communication and the use of verifiable data to support all claims.
Step #8: Incorporate visuals, such as infographics and icons, to enhance clarity and engagement.
Step #9: Simplify complex topics by applying the “explain like I’m five” rule.
Step #10: Foster two-way dialogue with key stakeholders to encourage collaboration and strengthen trust.
Sustainability Guide for Ski Resorts
While a webinar specifically on the Sustainability Guide for Ski Resorts was not held, FIS hosted a complementary session for ski resorts last July in partnership with Skistar, reinforcing the practical use of the guide.
Ski resorts are immersed in some of the planet’s most breathtaking natural environments. This gives resorts a powerful opportunity, but also a responsibility, to set the standard for environmental stewardship.
With this in mind, FIS has created the Sustainability Guide for Ski Resorts. This guide outlines 14 core initiatives to help resorts build more sustainable operations, step by step.
Each initiative is broken down into smaller parts with clear explanations, allowing users to move forward with the knowledge needed to implement every step confidently. A summary of the 14 initiatives follows:
Initiative #1: Reduce the energy consumption and carbon footprint of ski lifts.
Initiative #2: Attain 100% green electricity using a renewable energy mix.
Initiative #3: Set a net-zero goal for 2050.
Initiative #4: Adopt an effective piste management plan.
Initiative #5: Conserve natural habitats.
Initiative #6: Encourage sustainable travel.
Initiative #7: Introduce snow farming practices.
Initiative #8: Implement snow pump technology with lower emissions and water usage.
Initiative #9: Set zero-waste targets.
Initiative #10: Collaborate with key stakeholders.
Initiative #11: Design more sustainable restaurants, cafes, and bars.
Initiative #12: Design more sustainable accommodations (hotels, chalets, and alpine huts).
Initiative #13: Host more sustainable events.
Initiative #14: Create a sustainability program.
Click here to access FIS’s Sustainability Guide for Ski Resorts.
Introducing the New Waste Management Handbook
The Waste Management Handbook is the latest FIS sustainability guide to be released. This comprehensive handbook goes beyond guidance. Packed with educational content, it aims to help the snow-sports community understand the impact of their choices.
The handbook is organized into four interconnected sections, each building on the previous one to develop a thorough waste management plan. Below is a brief overview of this four-part structure:
Section A: Guides the identification, documentation, and categorization of all types and sources of waste generated by an event.
Section B: Puts the core principles of effective waste management into action, ranked by impact.
Section C: Offers practical, hands-on steps for managing waste during the event.
Section D: Covers complementary aspects of waste management, focusing on education, communication, and stakeholder engagement.
Click here to access FIS’s Waste Management Handbook.
Sustainability Made Simple: Access FIS’s Latest Guide on Waste Management
The publication of FIS’s sustainability guides provides practical solutions to the environmental challenges facing winter sports.
To build on these efforts, FIS has released the Waste Management Handbook to further strengthen the sport’s sustainability alignment.
A central theme of these guides is collaboration and communication, empowering users to celebrate successes and inspire meaningful action across the sports industry.
By working together, the snow sports community can set a leading example for sustainability, protect winters, and secure the future of the sport.