Certified with the Flocon Vert label since 2020, Les Arcs continues its transition through concrete actions to preserve the mountains, their biodiversity, and their resources.
Is a snowflake green?
Created by Mountain Riders, the Flocon Vert is an accelerator for the transition in mountain regions. The goal of this certification is to support destinations in their sustainable initiatives and to help vacationers better understand the actions taken by resorts. Now, make no mistake—the Flocon Vert is not just about planting trees and recycling waste. No, no—it’s much more than that. In fact, it takes into account a range of criteria—social, cultural, economic, political, environmental, and much more. And it’s not set in stone—oh no! Every three years, destinations are audited to ensure they don’t rest on their laurels. The criteria, meanwhile, are updated every five years based on the latest advances in sustainable development, to maintain a high standard.
What’s really cool about this approach is that destinations receive support to develop a long-term vision in collaboration with all local stakeholders: from the ski area to city hall to the tourism office. To earn the Green Snowflake certification, destinations must also have a solid, concrete long-term action plan—no half-measures here!
To distinguish the degree of progress destinations have made in their transition, there are now three certification levels: 1 Flocon, 2 Flocons, and the Holy Grail—the 3rd Flocon. Currently, 22 resorts hold the Flocon Vert certification, 7 have earned the 2nd Flocon, and 15 have achieved their first Flocon.
Here is the list of resorts with the Flocon Vert certification
Chamrousse, Châtel, Combloux, Cordon, Font-Romeu, Lans-En-Vercors, Le Grand Bornand, Les Angles, Les Arcs, Les Belleville, Les Contamines Montjoie, Les Rousses, Megève, Morzine–Avoriaz, Saint-François-Longchamp, Saint-Gervais, Tignes, Valberg, Vallée de Chamonix, Valloire, Val Cenis, Val d’Isère
2 snowflakes on the counter for Les Arcs
Les Arcs was the first resort in Savoie to earn the prestigious Flocon Vert certification in December 2020! Our commitment goes way back: ever since Les Arcs was founded, visionaries like Charlotte Perriand envisioned the mountains as a place to live outdoors in harmony with Mother Nature. Indeed, our architecture was designed to blend harmoniously into the natural landscapes and preserve the beauty of our region.
But our commitment didn’t stop there. In 1989, we inaugurated our funicular connecting the Bourg-Saint-Maurice train station to the resort of Les Arcs, making us the only mountain destination accessible entirely on foot.
In 2012, the Les Arcs Peisey Vallandry mountain resort established the Environmental Observatory to minimize our impact on the region when launching new projects.
A Green Snowflake for a Responsible Destination
Since 2020, you’ll find new examples of completed projects:
- High-Performance Facilities: The energy-efficient ski resort chalet, located at the base of the Lanchettes chairlift, reduces energy consumption thanks to top-of-the-line insulation. This pilot project will be expanded to the entire ski resort. We also use a fleet of electric vehicles for our teams’ business travel and are even exploring hydrogen technology for our snow groomers.
- Raising Awareness About Wildlife Conservation: In partnership with the Vanoise National Park, we have created quiet zones for the willow grouse and organize awareness-raising events during the winter. Our Vallandry gondola features a museum space highlighting the region’s exceptional biodiversity.
- Waste Management: Our “Eau des Arcs” campaign aims to reduce the use of plastic bottles. We encourage visitors to drink tap water, which is high-quality and sourced locally. Water fountains are also available throughout the ski area.
Come discover our ski area, its landscapes, and its biodiversity, and try the water from Les Arcs.
And what about the other stations? What are they doing?
As mentioned, these initiatives aren’t just about the environment. The Flocon Vert is also an opportunity to highlight inspiring efforts. Take, for example, the Pépé Nicolas restaurant in the Bellevilles Valley. In addition to supporting local producers, they have a 2,000-square-meter permaculture garden, and every day, they serve fresh produce from the garden and the region. It also recognizes efforts toward inclusion, such as the European Snow Pride event organized by Tignes, and applauds Valberg for its efforts to preserve the quality of the night sky by minimizing light pollution as much as possible.
All of this is to say that the Flocon Vert encourages us to make our mountains even more beautiful and well-preserved for future generations.
