In a groundbreaking move towards transparency and sustainability, Salomon has open-sourced its life cycle assessments (LCAs) on skis, snowboards, boots, and bindings. By releasing data on the processes behind and the results of its extensive LCAs, Salomon’s ambition is to change the way winter sports equipment is designed, manufactured, and consumed.
Hoping to empower an industry-wide shift, Salomon provides valuable information for other industry players in reducing the carbon footprint of their own products. Conducting LCAs requires significant resources and involves expert third parties and technology that is not always available or accessible to everyone.
By open-sourcing its findings, Salomon offers especially smaller operators the chance to apply them to their own production and thus reduce waste, increase circularity, and mitigate environmental impacts.
Empowering collective action
By sharing its findings, Salomon aims to catalyze collaborative efforts towards sustainability, setting a new benchmark that the entire industry can follow.
Salomon seeks to empower stakeholders at every level. Xavier Le Guen, Vice President of Salomon Winter Sports Equipment, emphasizes the transformative potential of this initiative.
“We cannot do it alone,” he says. “Each brand can have an impact in its own way—the data empowers that.”
Salomon’s LCA findings reveal high-impact areas for intervention. For instance, analyses indicate that resin use constitutes a significant portion of skis’ climate impact, meaning that efforts to integrate recycled materials and explore sustainable alternatives offer a pathway for all producers to lower their environmental footprints. Similarly, insights from boot binding assessments underscore the potential of recycling material scraps to mitigate climate change impacts.
Shaping the future of winter sports
Salomon has long been a frontrunner when it comes to centering sustainability at the core of its operations, and has now gone one step further to champion a wider vision for the future of winter sports.
“We are convinced that we are the ones that can enact the change we all need to see,” Xavier emphasizes.
Salomon’s initiative has garnered interest from industry partners, offering retailers and consumers alike access to valuable insights for informed decision-making. Recognizing the importance of collective action, Salomon collaborates with competitors, viewing them not as adversaries but as partners in the pursuit of a shared goal.
“As we continue our sustainability journey, we remain steadfast in our commitment to innovation and environmental responsibility,” says Marie-Laure Piednoir, Global Sustainability & Impact Director at Salomon.
“With a clear vision and dedication, we at Salomon hope to continue innovating and to set the standard for a more sustainable, inclusive future for winter sports enthusiasts worldwide.”
