From Government to Aspen Chamber Resort Association to the Private Sector, Aspen Takes a Lead in Sustainable Policies and Combating Climate Change
Since its creation in the 1960s, ACRA has worked to create and support an environment for Aspen to thrive. In 2020, ACRA shifted its focus from destination marketing to destination management with the following stated goals:
- We want to preserve the very reason people enjoy visiting Aspen while protecting quality of life for all those that live, work and play here.
- Maintain economic vitality for our residents while providing world class experiences that delight our visitors.
- Sustainability is important not only in the environmental sense but also social and economic as well.
- In being mindful about our promotion of Aspen, and switching to a management lens, we have the opportunity to improve both the experience for visitors and locals.
Aspen Destination Management Plan
Released in 2022, the ADMP aims to enhance resiliency in the community while protecting the quality of life for Aspen residents and preserve the very reason people enjoy coming to Aspen. The three pillars identified by the plan are address visitor pressure, enhance the Aspen experience, and preserve small-town character.
Visitors & residents can take the Aspen Pledge and commit to helping Aspen's beautiful and unique community flourish for years to come.
ACRA will be making a donation of $18.80 for each pledge signed, which honors the year Aspen was incorporated, 1880. Those signing the pledge can choose between the Independence Pass Foundation and Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers as the beneficiary organization. For the initial launch, ACRA has committed up to $50,000 in donations (equivalent to 2,659 signatures).
In August 2024, Aspen announced their Mountain IDEAL certification as a sustainable destination. The Mountain IDEAL destination standard was developed to address sustainability in mountain environments that include winter and summer activities. These unique challenges and opportunities include issues such as water and energy use related to snow-making and snow-melting systems, affordable housing for residents and seasonal employees, collaborating with public land managers and the business community, and embracing mountain cultural heritage.
Aspen began its pursuit of the Mountain IDEAL certification in 2022, the same year ACRA launched the Aspen Destination Management Plan. In both 2022 and 2023, Aspen won a place among the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories, an annual list of innovative good practice stories from destinations all over the world to be shared as inspiring examples to others, from tourism professionals to travelers. In Dec. 2023, Green Destinations, an internationally accredited certification body, conducted an onsite assessment of Aspen. Through a rigorous process, Green Destinations auditors reviewed documentation, interviewed key stakeholders, and completed a thorough evaluation of Aspen’s overall approach to sustainable destination management. Following a years-long certification process, Aspen was officially third-party certified to the Global Sustainability Tourism Council (GSTC)-Recognized Mountain IDEAL Standard by the GSTC-Accredited Green Destinations Certification Body in July 2024.
Colorado Green Business Network of Aspen
The city of Aspen, in partnership with the Aspen Chamber Resort Association (ACRA) and with the support of the state of Colorado, announced the launch of the Colorado Green Business Network of Aspen (CGBN of Aspen) in August 2024. This free program empowers local businesses to adopt sustainable practices, reduce their environmental impact, and contribute to a greener future for Aspen. CGBN of Aspen offers technical assistance, recognition opportunities, and a supportive network to help businesses implement environmentally friendly practices. In addition to being recognized both at the local and state level, the CGBN of Aspen offers benefits such as fostering connections and networks, providing free technical assistance and operational assessments, features on city of Aspen and ACRA websites, and connecting businesses to funding opportunities.
Passengers traveling to Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) can reduce the impact of their flight with carbon offsets through an online program called The Good Traveler. Aspen Chamber Resort Association partners with The Good Traveler to address environmental concerns by offsetting carbon emissions from both air and ground transportation for group travel into Aspen. Through this partnership, we are committed to creating a more sustainable and eco-friendly experience for visitors exploring the beauty of Aspen.
The online program uses allows travelers to calculate the distance of their trip and buy offsets to cover the distance, which then get invested into carbon reducing projects. In Aspen, the proceeds from the carbon offsets are funneled directly into the Wilderness Workshop, a local bastion of conservation that diligently works to protect and preserve the wilderness and natural landscapes that make Aspen truly special.
ACRA’s “Tag Responsibly” campaign encourages locals and visitors to “Tag Responsibly – Take the Aspen Pledge.” As Instagram and other social media channels have encouraged people to travel the world while snapping photos of the most beautiful places discovered, some places in the world are getting over-visited – or people are endangering themselves for that perfect Instagram shot. Instead of using a geotag on Instagram posts, which provides the exact location down to the latitude and longitude, ACRA encourages locals and visitors to use the geotag “Tag Responsibly – Take the Aspen Pledge” to protect Aspen’s most coveted areas in and around town.
Getting Around
- The City of Aspen operates eight shuttle routes providing free transit service to more than one million residents and visitors each year.
- Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA), the local bus system, operates eight battery powered electric buses. The electric buses operate on City of Aspen routes. RFTA has plans to expand the electric bus fleet as funding allows.
- RFTA also operates complimentary bus service to Aspen Airport and the Brush Creek Intercept Lot as well as to Snowmass Village/Snowmass Mountain.
- The City of Aspen boasts a unique car-share program, Car to Go, offering residents a fleet of vehicles to rent for a small cost instead of owning a car.
- The Downtowner was brought in by the City of Aspen in 2017, as an eco-friendly and free way for locals and visitors to travel around Aspen in an electric vehicle. In 2021, the Downtowner had 78,000 riders, up from 23,000 in the inaugural year.
- Most of the City of Aspen's shuttle, transit and car-share vehicles use hybrid and biodiesel technology.
- We-Cycle launched in Aspen in 2013, making Aspen the first-ever resort town to have an official bike-sharing program. We-Cycle, which is subsidized by the City of Aspen and Pitkin County, has expanded service into 6 communities – Aspen, Snowmass Village, Basalt, Willits, El Jebel, and Carbondale. A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, WE-cycle operates as a public and private partnership with the vision that together, “WE” can pedal towards a sustainable, healthy, and connected future.
- Day-to-day operations and fare-free service is funded by the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority, local jurisdictions, and sponsors. Bikeshare equipment is funded by Founding Partners, private donors, local jurisdictions, and the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority. WE-cycle is a PBSC Urban Solutions based system.
Renewable Energy
Aspen is one of six cities in the country that runs on 100 percent renewable energy- a mix of approximately 50 percent wind, 45 percent hydropower, and the remaining five percent from solar and landfill gas.
Green Parks & Open Space
Aspen is surrounded by open space, which is a mix of U.S. Forest Service, City of Aspen Parks & Open Space, Pitkin County Open Space, and other preserved land with Aspen Valley Land Trust and other organizations.
Aspen Parks and Open Space Department manages approximately 1,300 acres of open space and 25 parks within and around the city in addition to supporting an active land acquisition program.
Pitkin County Open Space & Trails’ manages more than 20,000 acres of Open Space, and their mission is to acquire, preserve, maintain and manage open space properties for multiple purposes including, recreational, wildlife, agricultural, scenic and access purposes; and to acquire, preserve, develop, maintain and manage trails for similar purposes.
Leave No Trace
It’s important to follow all Care for Colorado Leave No Trace principles when recreating outside. Following proper bathroom etiquette is especially important as human waste can pollute water sources and spread diseases. In 2024, ACRA has signed on to be a sponsor of the “Doo” Colorado Right campaign which is spearheaded by Gunnison/Crested Butte. As part of this initiative, ACRA will be “gifting” the Aspen-Sopris Ranger district approximately 100 PACT kits and will distribute another 150 kits to retailers and other public lands staffers. In total, ACRA will distribute 250 kits.
Accolades
- Mountain IDEAL certified (Recognized in Aug. 2024)
- 2022, 2023, & 2024 Green Destinations Top 100 Stories
- Green Builder Magazine Best Sustainable Cities 2023
- CNN Travel: 10 of the World’s Most Sustainable Ski Resorts
- Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations (ESTO) Destinations Council Destiny Award for “Destination Website” and “The Road Less Traveled” for its Tag Responsibly campaign.
Resources
- Travel Beyond Podcast: Aspen
- ACRA Blog Post: Green Aspen
- Atlantic Aviation's Carbon Offset Program at Aspen FBO
- Good Neighbor Guide: Created for guests to share tips and tricks for responsible and respectful visitation while staying in Aspen.
- ACRA is a member of the Maroon Bells Comprehensive Recreation Management Plan Group; reservation requirements at Maroon Bells are an important tactic in helping to preserve public lands. Read more about the Maroon Bells CRMP here.
For visitor information, visit www.aspenchamber.org, or call 1.888.290.1324 or 970.925.1940.
About Aspen, Colorado – Aspen, Colorado is an authentic, historic mountain town that is renowned for its year-round outdoor lifestyle, cosmopolitan cultural calendar, and bustling downtown ambiance. With an endless array of arts, culture, dining, and nightlife, Aspen is defined by an urbane feel that belies its small-town charm. An Aspen vacation is an experience that energizes the mind, body, spirit, whether soaking in mountain splendor and over 200 days of annual sunshine, learning a new skill, feeding a fascination, or simply absorbing the mountain spirit. Located 18 miles west of Independence Pass on the Western Slope of the Continental Divide, Aspen is nestled in the heart of the White River National Forest at the confluence of the Roaring Fork River, Hunter Creek, Maroon Creek, and Castle Creek, and encircled by the peaks of the Elk Mountain Range in the central Rocky Mountains. Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) is conveniently located only three miles from downtown Aspen. For visitor information, a complete calendar of events, or to book an Aspen vacation, visit www.aspenchamber.org, or call 1.888.290.1324 or 970.925.1940.