Andorra’s Ski Resorts – More Eco-Friendly Than You Thought
Patrick Thorne, January 2008
Introduction
Andorra has come a long way in 50 years. Once a small farming principality, today Andorra is a thriving 21st century tourism destination and home to one of the planet’s 50 biggest ski resorts, attracting a world-class 2.5 million skiers annually.
However many people are unaware of the changes that have taken place in Andorra over the past decade. The consolidation of once rival ski area operators so that there are now two major resort groups and the huge investment in modern infrastructure that has brought far higher service standards and quality of product than the “cheap and cheerful” budget destination image that still lingers on.
So whilst still always cheerful, the onus in Andorra today is on high quality and professional, efficient management rather than the cheap and basic product of the 1970s and ‘80s with which the principality’s ski areas are still, now largely incorrectly, associated by many people.
Part of this change of emphasis has been a sustained drive towards high quality service standards as well as infrastructure. Whilst it has not been widely publicised, and again is contrary to the popular image, the country’s resorts are in fact world leaders in environmental management and are not only amongst the few ski centres on the planet to have achieved certification for the internationally recognized ISO 9001 quality management standard and the ISO 14001 environmental management standard, they were also some of the first to achieve it.
Indeed, Andorra is the only country in the world that can claim that all of its ski centres have the ISO 14001 certification*. Whilst there may now only be two ski resorts in Andorra (Grandvalia, which includes the centres of Pas de la Casa and Soldeu, and Vallnord which includes the ski centres of Arinsal, Pal and Arcalis), none of the larger countries, each with hundreds of ski resorts, can, so far, claim to have more than two of their resorts with this world standard of environmental management certification.
These achievements are all the more impressive because, unlike in most other European nations, it has been the ski centres that have driven environmental awareness in Andorra, adopting higher standards of environmental management before Andorra’s government, rather than the government imposing stricter standards on the ski resorts as is normally the case.
The Quality Management Director of Vallnord explains the resort’s thinking clearly,
“Mountains are everything in Andorra so of course we must do all we can to protect them for the future.”
To that end the country is working on a project entitled ‘Agenda 2020’ which seeks to increase sustainable mountain tourism initiatives including environmental protection over the coming decade.
Andorra’s ski areas have made the following achievements in their on-going initiatives to be as environmentally friendly as possible:
Energy Efficiency
Andorra’s ski areas strive for maximum efficiency to keep costs as low as possible and also help the environment. Initiatives include:
T Using motion sensors in offices, public bathrooms, and parking lots to automatically turn the lights off when these areas are not in use.
T Some solar energy power for Grandvalira’s offices.
T Water efficient taps and toilet flush systems in staff and public bathrooms.
T Both Grandvalira and Vallnord have hired specialized consulting firms to advise the ski resorts on how to improve their energy and water efficiency and on how to include green building design features in new constructions
T Vallnord is currently looking at installing a high efficiency ground source heat pumpa to provide space heating and hot water in its buildings.
T Andorra was formerly self-suffient in hydro-electric power but now has to purchase energy from France and Spain. However a sizable proportion of electricity used remains hydro-electric. The percentage depends on how much of the imported fuel is renewable energy, which is not known. The Principality also recently completed a bio mass plant which burns non-recyclable waste to create energy.
T Both resorts have modern lifts and snowmaking systems which are much more energy efficient than older models. They both have an ongoing programme of replacing older machinery with newer, more efficient equipment. Grandvalira leases its snow grooming tractors, changing themn every two years so that they always have the most efficient models. Older machines are sold on by the manufacturer. Vallnord recycles its ski lifts by selling old ski lifts to South American resorts, which upgrade their older lifts. Both resorts use energy efficiency as a key parameter when selecting new lift, snowmaking and piste grooming equipment.
TVallnord uses eco-friendly briquettes made of coconut shell rather than charcoal in barbecue cooking by its catering division.
TGrandvalira uses greywater instead of potable water to flush toilets and urinals in some of Grandvalira’s buildings.
TThere are passive solar design features in new Vallnord buildings.
T There is a policy to include solar water heaters in all new buildings constructed in Grandvalira.
T There is continuous monitoring of the amount of energy and water used by the resorts. Using the collected information to gauge the efficiency with which the resorts use these resources, and set efficiency targets for energy and water consumption.
Quality Management and Public Information
As well as being amongst less than 10 ski areas in the world achieving ISO 14001 international environmental management certification*, both Grandvalira and Vallnord employ a dedicated Quality and Environment Department each with three employees which oversees multiple initiatives to ensure high environmental standards. These include:
T Surveying guest feedback on numerous issues including the guest’s impression of environmental information provision and management by the resort. Suggestions for improvement are welcome and acted upon wherever possible.
T In Grandvalira there is a public information programme on the environm ent called ‘Be-Green’ whilst in Vallnord a similar programme is called ‘Depends on You.’ Both differ from the ski industry’s normal approach of telling guests what the resort is doing but not daring to suggest the guest themself should make a little effort to help the environment. Although there remains no heavy onus on the guest to act, the Be_Green and Depends On You initiatives nonetheless, suggests that the guest, like the resort, should think about being green.
A marketing capaign associates Be-Green with happy people and a quality, natural environment. It also carries on to initiativeds such as a place mat on trays in mountain restaurant which simply illustrates what guests should do with each item left on the tray after they have eaten – which goes for cleaning, recycling, or bio degradable diosposal. The campaign is largely visual for ease of underestanding by the many different nationalities who visit the resort, but some key messages are provided in four languages (Catalan, English, French and Spanish). The Be-Green campaign is promoted on ski lifts, Grandvalira’s buildings and its website.
T Vallnord is increasingly going ‘paper free’ in its marketing, publishing promotional material online in a format that can, but does not need to be, printed.
T Vallnord hosts special environment education days for visiting grouops such as school parties.
T The remit of the piste patrol service includes warning people not to drop litter or harm the environment in any other way.
Land Management
TA full environmental assessment is made before every new ski run or ski lift is installed. Often changes are made to, for example, avoid cutting down trees. The policy in Vallnord is to avoid cutting down trees whenever possible, but when this cannot be avoided, two trees are replanted for each tree that is cut down.
T Land is very rarely bulldozed, instead the natural terrain is used wherever possible.
T In Vallnord the management keeps a very close eye on any accidental spills of oils, lubricants, fuel or other chemicals. When a spill occurs, the contaminated snow and/or soil are collected and sent to a facility that is specifically designed to handle and treat these wastes. Wherever possible the ski resorts use more expensive bio degradable fuels in their machinery rather than conventional products. This includes biodegradable hydraulic fluid in trail groomers. There has also been the installation of several snowmaking guns that don’t require lubricants at all in Vallnord.
T Throughout Andorra, architectural standards require a high percentage of stone is used in building exteriors making resorts very attractive. The use of stone is also designed to encourage builders to preserve the look and feel of traditional Andorran architecture.
T Vallnord’s local ski club stages a volunteers clean up of the slopes at the end of the season, collecting rubbish left by tourists that appears when the snow melts.
T Vallnord’s slopes are fertilised in the summer by herds of animals whose meat is certified organic, again increasing the responsibility of the resort to ensure a pure environment.
Waste Reduction and Recycling
Andorra’s ski areas pioneered recycling when there was no recycling in Andorra. Initially (10 years ago) the idea was not taken seriously by many tourists and locals, especially as limited recycling options sometimes meant waste that had been separated for recycling had to be put back in with normal waste. However the resorts persevered and now offer increasingly sophisticated systems.
TThere are extensive recycling facilities in numerous public areas around Andora and in ski resort buildings and car parks.
T Some fast food kiosks in Grandvalira have begun using bio-degradable crockery and cutlery made from corn starch so that there is no waste. The gourmet restaurants use plates and cutlery that is washed and re-used.
T In company offices and buildings such as vehicle maintainance sheds at both resorts there is comprehensive waste separation with the aim of recycling everything possible and, where recycling is not possible, correct disposal. Products separated including batteries, ink cartridges, cleaning fluid containers and paper in the offices and various engine oils, filters and many other industrial products in the workshops.
T Granvalira is aiming to eliminate the use of metal cans, even though these can be recycled, in order to reduce littering. In restaurants drinks are provided in bio-degradable cups, in vending machines drinks are dispensed in bottles which are also bio-degradable.
T With cheap tax-free cigarettes and no laws to prevent smoking in public places, Andorra has a problem with cigarette butts being left everywhere, particularly undere the ski lifts where large volumes appear as the snow melts in late Spring. To combat this Grandvalira is handing out portable ash trays and a publicity campaign highlights the existance of more than 300 cigarette bins strategically placed all over the resort.
T Grandvalira is trialing a composting system for organic waste from its mountain restaurants. Because of low temperatures at altitude year round the composting process is slower, but the resort is persevering to try to make it work.
Snowmaking
Andorra’s ski areas are heavily reliant on snowmaking and in the 2006-7 season were able to successfully operate through a winter when little natural snow fell thanks to their extensive, modern snow making system.
T Machine made snow on Andorran slopes is made without any chemical additives. Thius is the choice of the resorts rather than because of government legislation. In Vallnord’s case the water supply is constantly monitored to ensure its volume does not reduce below an agreed level. The cleanliness of the water is such that a fish farm has been established further downstream.
T Most of Andorra’s snowmaking system is very modern and computer controlled with minimum wasted energy, air or water. Modern tower guns require less energy, air and water than traditional ground based systems.
Transportation
Because of it’s limited size and steep sided valleys, land space available for roads is minimal and Andorra’s popularity means that road congestion is a frequent problem. However the ski resorts are doing what they can to ease the problem.
T Both resorts operate a ski bus service.
T Although there is no rail link to the nearest airports in Spain (Barcelona) and France (Toulouse) the resorts operate an efficient public bu service which functions almost 24 hours a day.
T Grandvalira’s huge ski area an be accessed from six points along the valley between Andorra and over the border in to France, more than halfd the width of the country, so drivers arriving from France and Spain can park and access the ski area without congesting the Valley.
T Modern road tunnels have reduced congestion on the roads.
T Vallnord has had meetings with government officials to try o persuade them to stop using environmentally harmful chemicals on the roads to clear them of snow and ice in the winter and use an environmentally friendly product instead.
The Future
Andorra’s ski areas are striving to do ever more to minimise their impact on the environment. Far from being complacxent following their achievements to date, resort staff recoignise this is an ongoing process that never ends, with new ideas being tried all the time.
Notes:
* Whilst both Grandvalira and Vallnord resorts have ISO 14001, only the Ordino-Arcalis sector of Vallnord has the ISO 14001 certification, with the Pal-Arinsal sector of VallNord still working on the certification process. Thus, at present, 222 km out of a total of 285 km of piste (or 78% of Andorra’s pistes) are ISO 14001 certified. Pal-Arinsal does have ISO 9001. According to the quality team of the Pal-Arinsal sector, they should be able to achieve the ISO 14001 certification sometime in 2008.
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