NEWS DIGEST
“Artificial snow has delayed difficult decisions and diverted attention from the fact that climate conditions are fundamentally changing”
climate conditions are fundamentally changing, with average temperatures continuing to rise and forcing a rethink of the underlying business model,” Aversa added. Scientific reports show Alpine snow cover has fallen sharply and that Italy is now the world’s most artificial- snow-dependent ski nation. Around 90 per cent of slopes rely on artificial snow in the Winter Olympics host nation – far higher than figures in Switzerland (54 per cent) and France (39 per cent). Producing artificial snow requires vast quantities of water and electricity, consuming up to 150 million cubic metres of water a year in Italy, equivalent to the annual water usage of more than 1.5 million people. “The Alpine ecosystem needs to be protected; it is up to us as researchers to find new ways to match the long-term sustainability of winter sports with the protection of the Dolomites UNESCO world heritage site”, noted co-author and associate professor at the University of Trento Alberto Nucciarelli. CD
STUDY WARNS OF MOUNTING PRESSURES ON GLOBAL SKI INDUSTRY
study found that resorts are increasingly turning to technology to minimise the uncertainty linked to global warming, as natural snowfall declines and dry seasons lengthen. “Artificial snow, also called ‘technical snow’ by industry actors, is at the centre of a climate-innovation conundrum. It has allowed the industry to survive and, to a certain extent, thrive in the short term,” commented Paolo Aversa, one of the report’s authors and a professor of strategy at King’s Business School. “But it has also delayed difficult decisions, locked resorts into rising costs and diverted attention from the fact that
SCHOOL King’s Business School King’s College London, UK
ith global attention on the Winter Olympics in Italy, new research has highlighted how
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environmental change and economic pressures are reshaping the future of skiing in Alpine regions and challenging the creation of value for communities and business stakeholders. With a focus on the Dolomites and surrounding Alpine regions in Italy, the
7 Business Impact • ISSUE 2 • 2026
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