Les Arcs Area Awarded B Corp™ Certification
Les Arcs Area Awarded B Corp™ Certification
Published : 20-Nov-2023 08:52
The ADS Mountain Area Manager company that runs the vast Les Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry ski area has become the first of its kind in Europe to obtain B Corp™ certification.
Internationally recognised as one of the most comprehensive certification programmes worldwide in terms of social, environmental and societal impact, BCorp™ certification has been awarded to 7,000 companies around the planet so far of which 300 are in France, with the Les Arcs region the first ski area.
The award process saw the Les Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry Mountain Area screen the impact of its operations and business model against the five B Corp™ impact areas, namely Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers.
B Corp ™ certification rewards businesses that adopt stringent standards in terms of social and environmental impact, transparency and responsibility, and commits the company to continuing its CSR* approach.
The B Corp™ label is based on a "Business Impact Assessment" (BIA) measuring a company's impacts
across the board, certain initiatives bring the role of the mountain area's teams in the achievement into sharper focus.
This recognition, which reflects on the entire region, is the result of several noteworthy initiatives carried out jointly with elected officials of the local authorities driving this area, as well as the practical rollout of initiatives undertaken by ADS's parent company, Compagnie des Alpes, which are now enshrined in the Group's Corporate Mission.
The Mountain Area manager relies above all on a unique collective known as La Ruche, made up of a hundred committed employees who, for over four years, have been driving initiatives aimed at accelerating the environmental transformation of the Les Arcs/Peisey Vallandry Mountain Area, involving the company's employees in their implementation.
Its successes include the regreening of mountain areas thanks to the planting of 900 trees in 2023, the restoration of several wetland areas, litter picking action days and the organisation of Climate workshops.
Two essential levers for achieving the net zero carbon target by 2030 are covered by initiatives underway. First, there are the initiatives concerning internal mobility within the company, with the widespread use of HVO 100 fuel chosen by the Group for all its snow groomers, which has enabled the Les Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry Mountain Area to reduce CO2 emissions linked to grooming and company vehicles by over 80%.
Secondly, the Les Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry/Villaroger Mountain Area is actively contributing to the mobility transition sought by the region's elected officials, relying in particular on the funicular railway. This link between the valley and high-altitude sites is a soft mobility tool that fits into the aim of offering a car-free and exclusively pedestrian pathway to the resort. The Mountain Area is contributing to this resolute regional commitment by offering free access to the funicular for all visitors arriving by train.
Third is the Les Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry/Villaroger Mountain Area's involvement in the local economy where it employs 550 people and indirectly generates 2,500 employees jobs across the wider region, including in Bourg Saint Maurice in the valley below. The company has adopted a new responsible purchasing policy that focuses on the environmental impact of its suppliers, enabling it to make nearly 90% of its purchases in the local Auvergne Rhône--Alpes region.
This B Corp certification is therefore both recognition of the Les Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry/Villaroger community's achievements to date and ongoing commitment to working collectively towards the same vision.
The B Corp™ certification process also means that going forward there's an ongoing challenge encouraging all teams within the Les Arcs/Peisey-Vallandry/Villaroger Mountain Area and the wider Compagnie des Alpes Group to surpass themselves in order enhance their positive contribution to the world we live in, the group says.
Image credit Raj Bundhoo
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