Officials take action as looming crisis threatens US mountain communities: 'On the front lines'

As ski towns around the world face an existential threat from warming temperatures, many of them are banding together to combat carbon pollution. 

What's happening?

According to Ski Magazine, the non-profit Mountain Towns 2030 is having its annual summit in Breckenridge, Colorado, to discuss how to achieve a lofty goal: net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. 

Why are emissions important to mountain towns?

While our warming planet impacts everyone, mountain towns and ski towns like Breckenridge and Park City, Utah, are among the most at risk. 

"Mountain communities are on the front lines of climate change," said Chris Steinkamp, MT2030's executive director, according to Ski Magazine. "Record-setting heat, warmer and wetter winters, and mega-droughts fueling devastating wildfires have made climate impacts an ever-present and visible threat. 

"These changes pose a direct risk to the future of mountain and ski resort communities as we know them," Steinkamp continued. "As four-season destinations, our livelihoods, mountain culture, and local economies are increasingly vulnerable. Every business — from small local shops to major ski resorts — faces an economic imperative to act." 

Ski towns rely heavily on consistent, predictable weather patterns to function. Because they're beholden to snow for their business, rising temperatures and less precipitation spell big trouble for the industry. 

While extreme weather has always existed, the consensus of climate experts is that the human-induced climate crisis is supercharging these events, like snow droughts. 

What's being done about the risks around our warming planet?

These ski towns aren't taking their lumps from our shifting weather patterns lying down. Park City and others have set goals of net-zero emissions by 2030, and MT2030 holds summits like the one in Breckenridge to help towns plan and prepare ways to achieve that goal. 

"Park City had just set an ambitious goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030," Steinkamp said, per Ski Magazine. "And while having Park City set this historic goal was a critical first step, they recognized that real impact would only come if other mountain towns could do the same. By leveraging all of the data and insights that Park City had, they could help other communities set the same goal, but quicker." 

The towns have the backing of several large resort companies in their efforts, and MT2030 has helped to get legislation passed in a variety of municipalities to push toward their goals. 

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"Climate change shouldn't be a red-versus-blue issue, and we are working hard to make this conversation bipartisan by focusing on common ground and solutions that build climate resilient and economically vibrant communities for everyone," Steinkamp said, according to Ski Magazine.

"We're not pointing fingers anywhere, but we are advocating for clean-energy solutions like solar, wind, and geothermal," he added. "Our approach focuses on achievable, systemic solutions that deliver the greatest impact on reducing emissions while leveraging the economic benefits of clean energy."

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