![BMO Commercial Banking](https://commercial.bmo.com/static/img/BMO-ca-logo.jpg)
Cypress Mountain Unites Top-Down and Bottom-Up Sustainability Strategies to Drive Reductions
-
bookmark
-
print
![Cypress Mountain.](https://commercial.bmo.com/media/filer_public/27/09/27095b14-c86c-4d7c-8b96-b01422cd578d/cypress_mountain_2_0_687_3683_2722.jpg)
![Cypress Mountain](https://commercial.bmo.com/media/filer_public/27/09/27095b14-c86c-4d7c-8b96-b01422cd578d/cypress_mountain_2_0_687_3683_2722.jpg)
![Cypress Mountain](https://commercial.bmo.com/media/filer_public/27/09/27095b14-c86c-4d7c-8b96-b01422cd578d/cypress_mountain_2_0_687_3683_2722.jpg)
As a ski area, Cypress Mountain relies on predictable snow for its winter operation. Located on the North Shore Mountains near Vancouver, a slight increase in temperature can have dramatic effects on the weather.
As climate change continues, Cypress Mountain risks a less predictable snowpack and winter operation. The company joined BMO’s Climate Smart Program in 2012 with the goal of understanding and reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and ecological footprint.
After more than a decade of working on their reduction efforts, they have discovered that it is necessary to strive toward sustainability from both a top-down and bottom-up approach.
“With a goal of being Net Zero by 2030, we are only at the beginning of our reduction journey. We hope to be a leader in the ski industry by reducing the impacts of our operations and enhancing the protection of our natural environment. By taking advantage of emerging technologies and sharing best practices with other ski areas, we hope to help move the entire ski industry towards more sustainable operations,” said Jenn Dickie, Safety & Sustainability at Cypress Mountain.
Focused on climate goals
Cypress Mountain chose to use Climate Smart to help move them towards their climate goals.
In 2020, Cypress Mountain and its parent company Boyne Resorts joined the National Ski Areas’ Associations (NSAA) Climate Challenge in the United States. The NSAA has set ski area specific goals that go beyond tracking carbon emissions to include a focus on habitat protection and advocacy.
Working with Climate Smart, the company developed and worked towards the goals set out by the NSAA Climate Challenge. Many initiatives require a commitment to capital spending from upper management and a shift in company culture, which will be best accomplished by engaging younger, more seasonal, front-line staff.
Cutting emissions and costs
The company discovered that having a robust sustainability program is the right thing to do and a huge asset in attracting young and engaged people to the Cypress Mountain team.
Due to this robust sustainability program, Cypress Mountain has seen significant reductions against their 2021 baseline year. Projects such as an LED light retrofit of all outdoor and indoor light fixtures and numerous building upgrades have led to an electricity reduction of 50 percent.
The estimated cost savings from their LED lighting retrofit are in the tens of thousands of dollars in the few years after its completion, as well as the cost savings realized due to a reduction in their peak demand charges.
In 2014, Cypress Mountain began a waste diversion program, which included composting and recycling, that reduced 22 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e). It also made efficiency upgrades to heavy equipment along with a no-idle policy that resulted in a reduction of 23 tCO2e since their baseline year.
How the company did it
Cypress Mountain started its emissions reduction actions with simple, low-cost initiatives such as waste diversion and no-idle policies. Other actions included:
-
Replacing all the lighting around the mountain with LED fixtures
-
Developing an established waste diversion program
-
Replacing the main boilers with on-demand systems
-
Providing a free shuttle bus for staff to avoid individual car usage
-
Continuously working to upgrade facilities to reduce wasted energy.
As the company continued to track its emissions, it became clear that the diesel fuel used by its heavy equipment fleet was the greatest contributor to Cypress Mountain’s carbon footprint, followed by the propane used to heat buildings.
As part of its 2023-2024 sustainability projects, Cypress Mountain took the meaningful step of using renewable diesel in all parts of its operations. The company has secured a source of R100 (no petroleum) with a gel point that enables use in colder temperatures.
In addition, Cypress Mountain procured two Taiga electric snowmobiles, and installed a new Nordic rentals facility that replaces two older buildings and eliminates two propane furnaces. The new building is heated with an electric heat pump.
In recognition of its innovative efforts to shift its equipment and vehicles to renewable diesel, the NSAA named Boyne Resorts a winner of its 2024 Golden Eagle Award for Climate Change Impact and a finalist for an Innovation in Sustainability Award.
While not every program undertaken resulted in cost savings, the overall pace of Cypress Mountain's growth relative to its GHG emissions shows that significant changes resulted in reduced emissions.
Cypress Mountain has made a commitment to be net zero by 2030 and has put a price on all emissions after 2030. The financial benefit of emissions reductions can potentially improve the business case for every sustainability project versus the cost of carbon offsets.
What’s next for Cypress Mountain?
In conjunction with its parent company, Cypress Mountain has committed to a goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2030.
As they move towards this goal, they plan to continue to upgrade facilities and equipment to utilize current and cleaner technology and take advantage of opportunities that arise to reduce their carbon footprint.
Improved fuel and energy monitoring will help them fine-tune their operation to maximize energy use.
Cypress Mountain has several ongoing and future initiatives, which include EV charging stations for the staff, guests, and park users.
They are also working on upgrading older facilities to ensure efficient building and removing propane as a heat source where possible. Their plans include adding fuel tracking software for their fleet vehicles and increased propane and electricity use metering.
![Brent profile photo](https://commercial.bmo.com/media/filer_public/38/93/38938ea0-1ce0-487f-b861-24e44286b9f8/brent_headshot_352_0_1253_900_0_0_901_900.png)
Brent Thumlert
Managing Director & Head, Climate Smart & Software Solutions
Brent is the Managing Director & Head, Climate Smart & Software Solutions. He leads the development and evolution of BMO’s proprietary technology that…(..)
View Full Profile >As a ski area, Cypress Mountain relies on predictable snow for its winter operation. Located on the North Shore Mountains near Vancouver, a slight increase in temperature can have dramatic effects on the weather.
As climate change continues, Cypress Mountain risks a less predictable snowpack and winter operation. The company joined BMO’s Climate Smart Program in 2012 with the goal of understanding and reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and ecological footprint.
After more than a decade of working on their reduction efforts, they have discovered that it is necessary to strive toward sustainability from both a top-down and bottom-up approach.
“With a goal of being Net Zero by 2030, we are only at the beginning of our reduction journey. We hope to be a leader in the ski industry by reducing the impacts of our operations and enhancing the protection of our natural environment. By taking advantage of emerging technologies and sharing best practices with other ski areas, we hope to help move the entire ski industry towards more sustainable operations,” said Jenn Dickie, Safety & Sustainability at Cypress Mountain.
Focused on climate goals
Cypress Mountain chose to use Climate Smart to help move them towards their climate goals.
In 2020, Cypress Mountain and its parent company Boyne Resorts joined the National Ski Areas’ Associations (NSAA) Climate Challenge in the United States. The NSAA has set ski area specific goals that go beyond tracking carbon emissions to include a focus on habitat protection and advocacy.
Working with Climate Smart, the company developed and worked towards the goals set out by the NSAA Climate Challenge. Many initiatives require a commitment to capital spending from upper management and a shift in company culture, which will be best accomplished by engaging younger, more seasonal, front-line staff.
Cutting emissions and costs
The company discovered that having a robust sustainability program is the right thing to do and a huge asset in attracting young and engaged people to the Cypress Mountain team.
Due to this robust sustainability program, Cypress Mountain has seen significant reductions against their 2021 baseline year. Projects such as an LED light retrofit of all outdoor and indoor light fixtures and numerous building upgrades have led to an electricity reduction of 50 percent.
The estimated cost savings from their LED lighting retrofit are in the tens of thousands of dollars in the few years after its completion, as well as the cost savings realized due to a reduction in their peak demand charges.
In 2014, Cypress Mountain began a waste diversion program, which included composting and recycling, that reduced 22 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e). It also made efficiency upgrades to heavy equipment along with a no-idle policy that resulted in a reduction of 23 tCO2e since their baseline year.
How the company did it
Cypress Mountain started its emissions reduction actions with simple, low-cost initiatives such as waste diversion and no-idle policies. Other actions included:
-
Replacing all the lighting around the mountain with LED fixtures
-
Developing an established waste diversion program
-
Replacing the main boilers with on-demand systems
-
Providing a free shuttle bus for staff to avoid individual car usage
-
Continuously working to upgrade facilities to reduce wasted energy.
As the company continued to track its emissions, it became clear that the diesel fuel used by its heavy equipment fleet was the greatest contributor to Cypress Mountain’s carbon footprint, followed by the propane used to heat buildings.
As part of its 2023-2024 sustainability projects, Cypress Mountain took the meaningful step of using renewable diesel in all parts of its operations. The company has secured a source of R100 (no petroleum) with a gel point that enables use in colder temperatures.
In addition, Cypress Mountain procured two Taiga electric snowmobiles, and installed a new Nordic rentals facility that replaces two older buildings and eliminates two propane furnaces. The new building is heated with an electric heat pump.
In recognition of its innovative efforts to shift its equipment and vehicles to renewable diesel, the NSAA named Boyne Resorts a winner of its 2024 Golden Eagle Award for Climate Change Impact and a finalist for an Innovation in Sustainability Award.
While not every program undertaken resulted in cost savings, the overall pace of Cypress Mountain's growth relative to its GHG emissions shows that significant changes resulted in reduced emissions.
Cypress Mountain has made a commitment to be net zero by 2030 and has put a price on all emissions after 2030. The financial benefit of emissions reductions can potentially improve the business case for every sustainability project versus the cost of carbon offsets.
What’s next for Cypress Mountain?
In conjunction with its parent company, Cypress Mountain has committed to a goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2030.
As they move towards this goal, they plan to continue to upgrade facilities and equipment to utilize current and cleaner technology and take advantage of opportunities that arise to reduce their carbon footprint.
Improved fuel and energy monitoring will help them fine-tune their operation to maximize energy use.
Cypress Mountain has several ongoing and future initiatives, which include EV charging stations for the staff, guests, and park users.
They are also working on upgrading older facilities to ensure efficient building and removing propane as a heat source where possible. Their plans include adding fuel tracking software for their fleet vehicles and increased propane and electricity use metering.
What to Read Next.
Jigar Shah on Financing the Energy Transition
Rahim Bapoo | March 01, 2024 | Sustainability Leaders
![Jigar Shah and Rahim Bapoo](https://commercial.bmo.com/media/filer_public/ad/5f/ad5fb856-ef59-4bb8-92f9-d5c3c3731e81/jigar_shah_pod_1013_lo_res_1_287_189_2100_1191.jpg)
Rahim Bapoo, Managing Director, Energy Transition, Metals, Mining & Critical Minerals, sat down with Jigar Shah, Director, Loan Programs Office, …
Continue Reading>More Insights
Tell us three simple things to
customize your experience.
![How we can help](https://commercial.bmo.com/media/filer_public/ef/77/ef770d21-7a65-4a56-8045-c9be3b8f4955/custom-search-image-1.jpg)
![How we can help](https://commercial.bmo.com/media/filer_public/93/17/9317551b-3fd3-4372-8078-31c2808ce1d6/2_women_talking_for_banker_widget_istock-677809868_cropped.jpg)
![How we can help](https://commercial.bmo.com/media/filer_public/ef/77/ef770d21-7a65-4a56-8045-c9be3b8f4955/custom-search-image-1.jpg)
![How we can help](https://commercial.bmo.com/media/filer_public/93/17/9317551b-3fd3-4372-8078-31c2808ce1d6/2_women_talking_for_banker_widget_istock-677809868_cropped.jpg)
![How we can help](https://commercial.bmo.com/media/filer_public/ef/77/ef770d21-7a65-4a56-8045-c9be3b8f4955/custom-search-image-1.jpg)
![How we can help](https://commercial.bmo.com/media/filer_public/93/17/9317551b-3fd3-4372-8078-31c2808ce1d6/2_women_talking_for_banker_widget_istock-677809868_cropped.jpg)
Commercial
Commercial
-
Who We Are
-
Industry Expertise
- Agribusiness & Protein
- Agriculture
- Dealer Finance
- Commercial Real Estate
- Correspondent Banking
- Educational Institutions
- Engineering & Construction
- Food & Beverage
- Franchise Finance
- Futures & Securities
- Governments
- Healthcare
- Manufacturing
- Metals
- Not-for-Profit Organizations
- Private Equity Sponsors
- Professional Services
- Retail & Wholesale Distribution
- Specialty Finance
- Trucking
- Dental Practices
- Fuel Services & Convenience
- Logistics, Rail and Shipping
- Technology Banking
- Wine & Spirits
- Religious Institution Banking
-
We Can Help
- Asset Based Lending
- Business Strategy
- Doing Business Internationally
- Economic Insights
- Equipment Finance
- Finance Growth
- Manage Cash Flow
- Manage Risk
- Wealth Management
- Corporate Advisory
- Doing Business in Canada
- Minority-Owned Businesses
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Pacific Rim
- Climate Smart
- Regional Investment Banking Expertise
-
Our Bankers
- Our Podcasts
![phone hover icon](https://commercial.bmo.com/static/images/phone-hover.png)
![email hover icon](https://commercial.bmo.com/static/images/mail_hover%402x.png)
![phone hover icon](https://commercial.bmo.com/static/images/phone_hover%402x.jpg)
![email icon](https://commercial.bmo.com/static/images/mail_icon_circle_hover.png)
![phone icon](https://commercial.bmo.com/static/images/phone_icon_circle_hover.png)
![share icon](https://commercial.bmo.com/static/images/share_icon_circle_hover.png)
Contact Us
Banking products are subject to approval and are provided in the United States by BMO Bank N.A. Member FDIC. BMO Commercial Bank is a trade name used in the United States by BMO Bank N.A. Member FDIC. BMO Sponsor Finance is a trade name used by BMO Financial Corp. and its affiliates.
Please note important disclosures for content produced by BMO Capital Markets. BMO Capital Markets Regulatory | BMOCMC Fixed Income Commentary Disclosure | BMOCMC FICC Macro Strategy Commentary Disclosure | Research Disclosure Statements.
BMO Capital Markets is a trade name used by BMO Financial Group for the wholesale banking businesses of Bank of Montreal, BMO Bank N.A. (member FDIC), Bank of Montreal Europe p.l.c., and Bank of Montreal (China) Co. Ltd, the institutional broker dealer business of BMO Capital Markets Corp. (Member FINRA and SIPC) and the agency broker dealer business of Clearpool Execution Services, LLC (Member FINRA and SIPC) in the U.S. , and the institutional broker dealer businesses of BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. (Member Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization and Member Canadian Investor Protection Fund) in Canada and Asia, Bank of Montreal Europe p.l.c. (authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland) in Europe and BMO Capital Markets Limited (authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) in the UK and Australia and carbon credit origination, sustainability advisory services and environmental solutions provided by Bank of Montreal, BMO Radicle Inc., and Carbon Farmers Australia Pty Ltd. (ACN 136 799 221 AFSL 430135) in Australia. "Nesbitt Burns" is a registered trademark of BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc, used under license. "BMO Capital Markets" is a trademark of Bank of Montreal, used under license. "BMO (M-Bar roundel symbol)" is a registered trademark of Bank of Montreal, used under license.
® Registered trademark of Bank of Montreal in the United States, Canada and elsewhere.
™ Trademark of Bank of Montreal in the United States and Canada.
The material contained in articles posted on this website is intended as a general market commentary. The opinions, estimates and projections, if any, contained in these articles are those of the authors and may differ from those of other BMO Commercial Bank employees and affiliates. BMO Commercial Bank endeavors to ensure that the contents have been compiled or derived from sources that it believes to be reliable and which it believes contain information and opinions which are accurate and complete. However, the authors and BMO Commercial Bank take no responsibility for any errors or omissions and do not guarantee their accuracy or completeness. These articles are for informational purposes only.
This information is not intended to be tax or legal advice. This information cannot be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. This information is being used to support the promotion or marketing of the planning strategies discussed herein. BMO Bank N.A. and its affiliates do not provide legal or tax advice to clients. You should review your particular circumstances with your independent legal and tax advisors.
Third party web sites may have privacy and security policies different from BMO. Links to other web sites do not imply the endorsement or approval of such web sites. Please review the privacy and security policies of web sites reached through links from BMO web sites.
Notice to Customers
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law (USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107 56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) requires all financial organizations to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. When you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth and other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask you to provide a copy of your driver's license or other identifying documents. For each business or entity that opens an account, we will ask for your name, address and other information that will allow us to identify the entity. We may also ask you to provide a copy of your certificate of incorporation (or similar document) or other identifying documents. The information you provide in this form may be used to perform a credit check and verify your identity by using internal sources and third-party vendors. If the requested information is not provided within 30 calendar days, the account will be subject to closure.