Joining the WSN

For nearly two years, 1000 has been part of the Winter Sports Sustainability (WSN), an initiative our Head of Sustainability calls “an incredible opportunity”. The Winter Sports Sustainability Network (WSN) is a platform initiated in 2021 for collaboration, learning, and joint sustainability action within the winter sports industry. Despite being one of the smallest brands in the network, we have found immense value in this collaboration. “Sometimes our suppliers are so big that the entire ski industry combined is still a small customer to them”. As part of a united industry effort, suppliers feel more obligated to respond to sustainability-related questions and initiatives. 

We have gained access to critical tools and collaborations, such as LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) communication guidelines, shared value chain mapping (from Tier 1 to Tier 4), and renewable energy tracking within those supply chains. One of the benefits of being part of the WSN is the opportunity to learn directly from more experienced ski brands. “It’s incredibly valuable. We can ask them practical questions like, ‘How do you manage a warehouse in the U.S.?’ or other logistical challenges. Even though the ski industry is competitive, sustainability is something that unites us. It changes the perspective, we’re not competitors here, we’re collaborators”.

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Inside the WSN

Work in the WSN communities is conducted within five working groups: Climate, LCA & Footprinting, Ecodesign & Recycling, Traceability & Compliance, and Advocacy. Each group has one or two representatives from each company, as well as a group lead who guides the discussion. Currently, we are the group lead for the advocacy group. We focus on uniting sustainability, advocacy, and athlete empowerment to build brand trust, shape climate policy, and position the winter sports industry as a leading voice for a future-oriented movement. These groups are overseen by FESI (Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry). FESI plays a key role in aligning the network with emerging EU and U.S. sustainability legislation. “We have monthly virtual meetings for each group, and twice a year there are larger in person gatherings where we share progress and ideas”. 

The network is also run in partnership with Peak 63, a company based near Åre, Sweden, the same region where we produce our skis. “They’re super talented Swedish guys, and that’s actually how I first heard about WSN, through Protect Our Winters. I called them up immediately and said, ‘We’re 1000skis, we’d love to be part of this.’ And they said, ‘Well, yeah, you can!’ We couldn’t be more stoked”.

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Growing as a Sustainable Brand

Our sustainability journey has always been rooted in genuine passion rather than formal expertise. “From day one, we’ve done some of the most progressive things out there, offering only one ski graphic, selling single skis, maintaining a responsible travel policy, producing exclusively with renewable energy, having no discount or sales”. But early on, we lacked formal documentation and alignment with new sustainability frameworks. For us, the WSN is a learning ground as much as a collaboration. “I haven’t studied it, so there are hundreds of new terms, CSRD, EUDR, green claims, LCA, and I’m learning everything. It’s really interesting to step into a room full of experts and absorb all this knowledge. I love it”. Even as one of the smaller players in the network, our bold approach has not gone unnoticed. With our size, we can move quickly, test new ideas, and implement real changes faster than many larger, more established brands. It’s rewarding to see that our unapologetic startup mindset can actually inspire some of the industry giants to be more daring and decisive in their own sustainability work. In that sense, we’re not just learning from the big players, we’re also showing that real impact can start small.

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Climate pact

The WSN has developed a unified Climate Pact centered on five key principles, with a public commitment to reducing emissions and achieving a net-zero emissions future (WSN, 2023). By joining the Climate Pact, we at 1000 are formally committing to climate action and a future of net-zero emissions. To achieve this, we’re aligning our efforts around the five key principles:

1. Focusing

Prioritizing real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to help limit global warming to 1.5°C, as outlined in the Paris Agreement.

2. Progressing

Deepening our climate commitments by joining the UN Race to Zero Campaign before the end of 2024, with targets verified by internationally recognized climate initiatives.

3. Guiding

Encouraging collaboration across the industry, where companies that are further along in their climate journey help others advance.

4. Leveraging

Using our collective voice to advocate for bold and effective climate policies at all levels: local, national, and global.

5. Recognizing

Acknowledging the industry’s role in the climate crisis and making climate action a visible, top-level priority within our organizations.

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The Climate Pact was co-developed with Snowsports Industries America (SIA). Through this shared commitment, we can all acknowledge our vulnerability to climate change while leveraging our platforms to drive change within the industry.

List of ski brands associated with the WSN : 

1000 Skis ; Atomic ; Black Crows ; Blizzard-Tecnica ; Burton ; Capita ; Dalbello ; Decathlon ; Dynafit ; E-outdoor (Eskimo) ; Elan ; Fischer ; Head ; Jones-Snowboards ; K2 ; Kästle ; Line ; Madshus ; Marker ; Nordica ; Nidecker ; Ride ; Rossignol ; Salomon ; Stöckli ; Tyrolia ; Völkl