ForeverProject
Our Commitment to Net Zero Emissions and Building a Sustainable Tomorrow
Boyne Resorts recognizes human-driven climate change as an urgent issue for the world, as well as for the SnowSports industry. In early 2021, we formalized commitments to climate action and announced our ForeverProject.
ForeverProject is an initiative to attain a sustainable tomorrow through collaboration, by positively affecting the lasting impact our resorts, team members, and guests have on the planet.
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- Power all operations with 100% clean electricity
- Reduce dependence on carbon-based fuels in existing buildings through energy efficiency upgrades and electrification
- Develop and implement high-efficiency green building standards for design and construction of new facility and real estate projects
- Upgrade our lift networks, installing the most technologically advanced lifts, and enhancing the energy efficiency of lift houses
- Install low-energy equipment while expanding snowmaking
- Add on-site renewable energy generation projects
- Monitor emerging technologies to identify opportunities to maximize efficiency and electrification of fleet vehicles and equipment
- Seek partnerships with local and/or meaningful programs to sequester carbon
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- Expand composting
- Enhance recycling
- Partner with local and non-profit organizations to donate/repurpose items, from uniforms to equipment
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- Participate in community environmental clean-ups
- Protect and limit disturbances to wildlife habitats, forests, and wetland ecosystems
- Conserve water through efficiency upgrades and utilizing recycled water where possible
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- Educate team members on the purpose of specific plans and encourage their input and ideas
- Be a leader in the community, educating guests about sustainability and welcoming their participation in initiatives
- Advocate at local, regional, and national levels for policies that promote climate solutions
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- Invest in Team Member housing to address local housing shortages
- Encourage and provide options to team members to utilize sustainable modes of transportation
- Develop great people.
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- Promote carpooling and sustainable transportation options to and from our properties
- Collaborate with local and regional non-profits, government agencies, and community organizations
BOYNE Golf and our resort properties are committed to sustainability and we're working hard to reduce our environmental impact at every level of resort operations. Over the next few years, we'll continue to utilize a combination of cutting-edge technology and ingenuity to increase efficiency, reduce waste and emissions, and ensure the health of our natural resources for generations to come. Our efforts are in coordination with Forever Project, Boyne Resorts' goal of reducing carbon emissions to net zero throughout North American operations by 2030.
Reduced Water Consumption
We have reduced our consumption of water within our golf division with a reduction of watering on the greens, and halting of watering on certain natural areas of the courses. Our practices have resulted in a 60% reduction in water use equal to 5,742,000 gallons a year.
Reduced Fuel Usage
Another facet of our resort’s fight against greenhouse gasses is reducing fuel usage at our golf divisions. Fuel consumption is down by 500 gallons per year since reducing fairway mowing to twice per week during the golf season and by switching to polymer-coated fertilizers, the amount of Nitrous Oxide released into the air from our courses is reduced and slowed.
Reduction of Plastic
We have also implemented self-serve water stations on our golf courses, replacing bottled water use, contributing to a reduction in waste. This reduces plastic bottle consumption by over 150,000 bottles per year.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Mindful Efficiency
Create and maintain a culture of reduction: energy use, waste output, water impact; balanced with maximized utilization of our human, technological, natural, and financial resources.
Tireless Conservation
Protect the natural environment unwaveringly, ensuring proper use for purposes related to outdoor recreation, and preserving or rehabilitating the land over which we are stewards.
INNOVATIVE COLLABORATION
Support and reward outreach and partnerships that extend beyond all traditional boundaries, providing deeply valuable impact among our team members, and in our communities, industry, and environment for the long term.
NET ZERO EMISSIONS
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COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL/REGIONAL UTILITIES SUPPLIERS TO IDENTIFY AND ACT UPON OPPORTUNITIES OF EVERY SCALE TO REDUCE ENERGY AND FUEL USE -
ENGAGE EXPERTS AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS TO HELP CHART A PATH TOWARD A FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS -
FULLY IMMERSE NET ZERO INTENTIONS, TACTICS, AND TARGETS INTO THE COMPANY’S CULTURE -
THOROUGHLY AND CONTINUOUSLY EDUCATE TEAM MEMBERS ON THE PURPOSE AND SPECIFIC PLANS, THE NECESSITY OF THEIR SUPPORT INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE WORKPLACE, AND THE VALUE OF THEIR INPUT AND IDEAS -
PURCHASE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY WHERE AVAILABLE AND PARTICIPATION WITH LOCAL/REGIONAL GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT AVAILABLE IN EACH RESORT COMMUNITY -
FURTHER REDUCE ELECTRICITY USE THROUGH FOCUSED AND ONGOING REVISION OF RESORT OPERATIONS PRACTICES IN AREAS SUCH AS SNOWMAKING, SNOW GROOMING, AND TURF MAINTENANCE -
CONTINUED ENHANCEMENT OF LOW-ENERGY AND PROPRIETARY SNOWMAKING EQUIPMENT -
PURCHASE OF ONLY THE MOST ENERGY EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT, SYSTEMS, AND TECHNOLOGY AT ALL LEVELS OF THE OPERATION; UPGRADING AS POSSIBLE -
UTILIZE GREEN BUILDING GUIDELINES FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF FACILITY AND REAL ESTATE PROJECTS -
REDUCE DEPENDENCE ON NATURAL GAS -
FORMALIZE THE COMPANY’S HISTORICAL COMMITMENT TO PLANTING TREES AS A MEANS OF OFFSETTING ENERGY USE
NET ZERO EMISSIONS
Boyne Resorts’ operations throughout North America will achieve 100% renewable energy for the 2020/21 Winter season and will maintain a commitment to clean power into the future.
- By sourcing a global purchase of renewable energy credits (RECs), all resorts and city facilities will reach 100% clean power
- Early 2021 installation of a large-scale solar array at Boyne Mountain Resort in Michigan will serve as a pilot for installation projects to take place at multiple locations in the resort network
- Strengthening relationships with suppliers committed to renewable energy becomes a priority along with guiding the outlying suppliers to develop and execute timely plans for use of clean power
NSAA CLIMATE CHALLENGE
Led by National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), Climate Challenge is a voluntary program dedicated to helping participating ski areas target and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, engage in advocacy on climate change solutions, and reap other benefits in their operations, such as reducing costs for energy use. Each of our nine ski resorts is Benefits include access to formal training and tools to conduct a GHG inventory and identify opportunities for reductions and savings, and the ability to benchmark operations against others.
Participation requires endorsement of NSAA’s Sustainable Slopes program including a pledge to the following, as well as prioritized focus on areas such as water, waste, transportation, design and construction, forest health and habitat, and supply chain:
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Incorporate sustainability into all aspects of our resorts
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Lead by example, and educate employees and guests about sustainability
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Place collaboration over competition when it comes to sustainability
- Advocate for climate protection
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
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The Highlands
Partnering with Emmet County Recycling, we compost all our pre-consumer food waste. Last year we diverted over 220,000 pounds restaurant food waste from the landfill. Our food and beverage team iuses Your Green2Go compostable takeout containers and plant starch utensils. This compliments our current recycling efforts, which last year diverted over 290,000 pounds of paper and over 115,000 pounds of mixed containers from the landfill. The Highlands recently replaced several older snow guns with state-of-the-art HKD R5 Impulse guns. They use a fraction of the amount of compressed air formerly needed for snowmaking. This installation is projected to save over 600,000 kWH, throughout the course of each season.
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Boyne Mountain
We established objectives and methodology to offset all on-site greenhouse gases, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and invest in renewable energy. In 2020, we upgraded the Menerga computer system in Avalanche Bay to allow more control of energy usage. It provides a significant cost savings of electric and gas and allow us to operate at a higher efficiency while reducing consumption. A 1.7-megawatt solar array system is being installed at Boyne Mountain Resort, powering the equivalence of the resort’s 300+ homes and condominiums. This is a pilot project for installations at locations across the resort network and when combined with and our on-site power damn, will meet approximately 25% of our electricity needs.
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Inn at Bay Harbor
We participate in Clean the World, a hotel recycling program that gives new life to partially used bar soaps, lotions, and containers. We eliminated the standard use of plastic water bottles at our golf courses and in our showers, moved to utilizing greener options for food containers, including recycled carryout bags, compostable carryout containers, and plant-based and compostable straws. We have added recycle bins in each hotel room in addition to resort bins.We’ve also partnered with Tradewater so that guests can also chip in to offset their travels and we participate in Adopt a Highway and to partner with Tip of the Mitt Watershed council to keeping our surrounding area clean, beautiful, and bouncing back from human impact.
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