It is the twelfth French station, out of more than 300, and the third in Savoy to receive this distinction. Saint-François-Longchamp has won its “Flocon Vert”, a quality label which rewards and informs tourists of the ski resort’s eco-responsible commitment. A label awarded by Mountain Riders, a Savoyard association involved in the protection of the environment of mountain territories, but validated by an independent committee which evaluates the actions undertaken.
“In this committee, we have Asset FranceI’ADEMEthe Foundation for Nature and Man, sustainable tourism stakeholders, Savoie Mont-Blanc University; so they are very different actors, national, who take a look at all the work that we have done with this territory“, specifies Camille Rey-Gorrez, the director of Mountain Riders
From thermal insulation to renewable energy, water or waste management: in total, around twenty criteria are required to obtain certification. Big plus for the Savoyard station: its new hydroelectric power station which supplies all the power to the station. “This plant allows us to produce more energy than we consume. And this consumption includes both residences, dwellings, and tourist activity including ski lifts“, explains Amélie Milleret, deputy mayor of Saint-François-Longchamp.
Even the snow groomers, which consume a lot of fuel, are slowly going green. The drivers have thus been trained in appropriate driving which allows them to save 20% on consumption, pending the arrival in the coming years of low-carbon machines: “For 2037, we are aiming for carbon neutrality, and therefore, we will have changes to our machines and in particular, hydrogen snow groomers which are being developed by manufacturers.“, specifies the director of the ski area Nicolas Colombani.
A “Green Snowflake” which is not definitively acquired, regular checks are planned to ensure compliance with the measures taken by the labeled resorts to preserve the mountain.