« WE DON’T INHERIT THE LAND FROM OUR PARENTS, WE BORROW IT FROM OUR CHILDREN»
St-Exupéry

For quite a while now, Les Gets has been increasingly sensitive to the issues involved in environmental protection, and in order to live in accordance with these ideals, has made sustainable development its flagship. ‘Development that replies to today’s needs without compromising the ability of future generations to reply to theirs”. In line with this policy, important actions have been implemented as part of the 2003-2013 VILLAGE PROJECT.

SAGETS, the Les Gets ski-lift company, is one of the main players in the sustainable development field, having a major say in the village’s policies. This role carries important responsibilities, as each action has repercussions on the lifestyle of future generations. Aware of this, we have undertaken steps in order to be granted the ISO 14001 environmental certificate (obtained in March, 2008).

What do these steps involve?

We endeavour to tackle any problems or nuisance caused directly or indirectly by the company’s activities :

 Ensure that our activities respect the rules
 Improve our rubbish management.
 Rationalize – optimize the use of water and energy resources.
 Integrate the environment in all policy projects.
 Take the environment into consideration when determining purchasing policies.
 Organize measures to prevent pollution

These aims are listed in the SAGETS 2007-2010 Environment Management Programme along with over 60 relevant actions.

Some examples of actions already undertaken:
 Organizing rubbish recycling.
 Making artificial snow without using additives.
 Use of biodegradable oil for snow-grooming machines.
 Use of a more ecological kind of salt for snow-clearing.
 Local tree-growing projects.
 Works zones rehabilitated by local flora plantations: sorbs, junipers, fir trees, birches, rhododendrons, bilberries …
 Annual rubbish-collecting day (in spring).
 Raising skiers’ awareness with messages displayed on pylons and all around the area.
 Using chlorine-free recycled paper.
 Organizing special offers for people who share cars, the 3+1…
 Analysis of the necessary modifications on tracks to avoid the wasting of artificial snow.
 Old snow poles replaced by new energy saver ones.
 The mobile snow-blower (situated near the houses at la Turche) has been replaced by an equipment with silence mode
 Disappearance of the former Jump park of Chéry.
 This summer, modelling of the devalkart run with the natural ground (as a replacement of the tires).
 …

HOW CAN TOURISTS CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THIS GOAL?

Leave your car in the car parks on the village outskirts, and then use the free shuttle buses or the little train.
Buy ‘hands free’ ski-passes’ rather than throw-away ones that are not biodegradable.
Please don’t throw rubbish or cigarette butts into the countryside! Respect the mountains and use the numerous rubbish bins installed around the ski-lifts.
Finally, please let us know about any thoughts or suggestions you might have: drop in to the Tourist Office (forms available).

ECO GUIDE TO SKI RESORTS

Mountain Riders is an organization set up in 2000. Its aim is to raise awareness about environmental and sustainable development issues among all those involved in the mountains and their lifestyle. For 4 years now, they edit the Ski Resorts’ Eco Guide.
This year, 96 resorts have participated and answered the Eco Guide questionnaire. Each one willing to share simple and innovative initiatives
The ideal resort doesn’t exist and a resort that does nothing at all doesn’t exist either. That is why the Eco Guide has been created : present, concrete, innovative programmes that have already been implemented so that each and everyone can profit from these and make sustainable development a reality.
By presenting these different actions in ski resorts we hope to encourage the sharing of information, positive environmental practices and offer an objective tool where greenwashing has no place. You will find here 40 concrete solutions, already implemented in different resorts over the world and applicable to many others.
The other aim of this guide is to allow to choose ones holiday resort in a responsible way. It’s up to us to act. Small gestures of everyday life will make the difference. So why not change our habits during our holidays too?

 In it, we would like to Download the guide : ECO Guide 2009/2010
 See the form LES GETS :

http://www.mountain-riders.org/_EcoGuideStations/station.php?id=26&lg=fr

 Find out more about the association’s activities: www.mountain-riders.org