Differentiating itself from other ski companies, the Rossignol Group announced a few days ago the official launch of a new program of sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Called “Respect,” it calls among other things for a 40 percent cut in the waste generated by its manufacturing processes by 2025 and a 30 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, with an aim to become carbon-neutral by 2050.
It has already started to go in this direction, notably with the launch of a very ecological freeride ski for the next winter season, the Blackops, that has won an Ispo Gold Award. Without compromising on performance, the ski uses 100 percent certified wooden core from durably managed forests. It also uses between 15 and 70 percent recycled materials in other parts of the ski. Rossignol plans to make 50,000 pairs of the new model at the group’s Artes factory in Spain, which uses only renewable energy.
Rossignol is aiming for half of its skis to be made with certified materials. The company started using natural materials like linen in its skis in 2009, and it launched an ecological ski binding in 2012. It wants to reduce energy and water consumption.
The Rossignol Group is carrying out the majority of the production in Europe, close to the market, so it emits relatively little quantities of CO2 through transportation. To be transparent, it says that it currently produces 93,000 tons of CO2 and 3,500 tons of waste materials, but it intends to report on future savings.
Rossignol also wants to stop using polyester bags by 2030 and instead use recycled polypropylene and other materials, particularly for shipments of clothing. It is introducing new recycled cardboard packages this year for shoes and other products. The company intends to reduce the use of paper through greater digitalization. It also wants to boost its repair services.
The company started an interesting program in 2015 in France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy, buying back old skis of all the brands from ski rental shops and sending them to a recycling partner in France. The program is linked with a loyalty program that benefits the client and tends to raises the market shares of the company’s own brands, including Dynastar, Look and Lange. It plans to launch a program for the collection of used skis in collaboration with French ski instructors in March.
Within two years, all its suppliers and subcontractors will have to follow a charter of good conduct in the area of social responsibility as part of its new “Respect” program. Rossignol says it is working on improving the quality of work inside the company, being committed to gender equality and other guidelines.
Rossignol is already a partner of Reforest’Action, supporting a program of planting 25,000 trees in Tanzania this year, and of Protect Our Winters (POW), a big international lobby that is encouraging people in 12 countries to take public transportation rather than their own cars to ski resorts, traveling in a more responsible way. Rossi collected €35,000 for POW through a Black Friday promotion at its stores, making it last for one week and calling it “White Friday” (SGI Europe Vol. 30 N° 39+40, Nov. 28, 2019).
Outlining these and many other initiatives including the signing of the United Nations Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action for the growing Rossignol apparel collection, the group’s chief executive, Bruno Cercley, said that it was reacting to customers’ demands for more transparency and greater use of recycled products. In announcing the new program at the company’s head office near the French Alps, he showed a survey in which young skiers indicated that they are becoming quite conscious of the dangers of climate change. “It’s going very fast,” he said.
He said he felt that the group had an obligation to take action against climate change because it is the biggest company in the overall ski sector, with an estimated market share of 21 percent, and because there is a real risk that many ski resorts will be left without snow in the future. Temperatures are rising twice as fast in the mountains as on the plains.
