In January 2026, frontrunners from the winter sports industry, including brands, suppliers, federations, resorts, NGOs, and experts, gathered in Bolzano, Italy, for the third edition of the Ski Industry Climate Summit. Hosted by Atomic, together with Protect Our Winters (POW) and the Winter Sports Sustainability Network (WSN), the summit has become a key platform for aligning the industry around climate action, innovation, and collaboration.
What started two years ago as a focused industry dialogue has evolved into a broader ecosystem conversation. This year’s edition welcomed new stakeholders, such as federations and ski resorts. The summit agenda reflected a shared understanding that the challenges facing winter sports cannot be solved in silos.
From the outset, the message was clear: now is not the time to lose momentum or become lost in complexity. It is time for clarity, cooperation, and action.
Navigating complexity: collaboration, advocacy, and industry realities
Across two days, speakers emphasized why industry-wide collaboration matters. As regulatory frameworks and technical standards continue to evolve, aligning priorities across the value chain – from brands and suppliers to resorts, federations, and consumers – is increasingly important. This year’s summit reflected that ambition. Participants shared concrete examples of what they are doing today, what they are planning next, and where collaboration can accelerate progress.
A recurring theme emerged: progress happens fastest when stakeholders are willing to learn from one another. While companies continue to compete on the slopes and in the marketplace, the summit underlined that climate action is an area where collaboration is essential. Transparency, shared learning, and joint action on emissions reduction were highlighted as areas where collaboration supports progress for the industry as a whole.
A strong tone for the summit was set by climate activist and author Auden Schendler, who reminded the audience that the joy of the outdoors is why many people work in winter sports in the first place. Placed next to the realities of climate change, that joy becomes fragile. A world that is four degrees warmer, he argued, is incompatible with a stable, organized global society.
This perspective was echoed throughout the summit and a clear takeaway followed: advocacy matters. Brands have influence through their voice, partnerships, and ability to shape social norms, and collective action can help drive systemic change. Speakers highlighted how advocacy can be integrated into organizations through employee and athlete engagement, coordinated campaigns, and leadership-level commitment, strengthening brand trust, resilience, and long-term relevance.
Day one of the summit also provided a reality check on the operating environment for winter sports. Updates from industry associations, economists, and regulatory experts highlighted the growing complexity across markets in Europe and North America. Regulatory perspectives shared by organizations such as the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI), alongside market insights from brands including Decathlon and operators such as Compagnie des Alpes, illustrated how policy, participation, and long-term strategy are increasingly interconnected. While some regulatory timelines have shifted, topics such as PFAS, extended producer responsibility, digital product passports, and climate disclosure are already shaping product design and business decisions.
At the same time, market updates showed both opportunity and risk. Participation remains strong in core markets, but long-term challenges, from cost barriers to generational shifts, require continued innovation and relevance to new audiences.
Turning ambition into action: implementation and industry progress
Day two shifted the focus firmly toward execution. Circularity emerged as a central theme, with practical examples of how business models can extend product life, reduce waste, and create new value. Contributions from organizations such as Intersport International and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation highlighted how circular models are moving from concept to scalable practice across the industry. Rental, repair, resale, and remanufacturing were highlighted as fast-growing areas that strengthen customer relationships while reducing environmental impact, with initiatives such as Arc’teryx’s ReBIRD™ cited as examples of circular business models gaining real traction.
The importance of common standards and shared infrastructure was emphasized repeatedly. From lifecycle assessment methodologies to digital product passports, alignment across the industry can lower barriers and accelerate adoption. As one speaker noted, “Comparing yourself to others is sometimes the best trigger to act.”
The third Ski Industry Climate Summit showed an industry increasingly focused on translating shared ambition into practical progress. The challenges ahead are real, but so is the collective momentum and capability to address them. By bringing the industry together, enabling open exchange, and focusing on concrete priorities, the summit demonstrated how collaboration can support a resilient future for winter sports.
