The Aspen Skiing Company, which endeavours to be one of the world’s most environmentally friendly resort operators, has reported that its energy consumption and carbon emissions continued to rise despite the resort’s many efforts to reverse the trend. During the period from 2000, when it produced 30,925 tons of carbon, to 2006 when it produced 32,315 tons, the most recent year for which figures are available.

Aspen now buys in green energy credits against all power it consumes, effectively offsetting those carbon emissions, but it has also issued a report in which it states an objective of topping emissions at around 33,000 tons by 2012 and then turn things around so that they are nearer 23,000 tons – 25% less than the 2000 level, by 2020.

To do so the Report suggests that resort management must seriously consider how the resort operates including the carbon produced in early season opening and staging large events against the benefits to the company of doing so.

Among many initiatives proposed in the report are monthly publishing of energy use figures, the creation of an energy manager position and investing in more sources of renewable energy locally.