Sustainable winter sports are advancing: White Winters brings together the people behind the solutions

“This is the world we’re heading into,” said Dr. Ville Voipio in his opening remarks at the Nasdaq White Winters event, held on April 16 at the Helsinki Stock Exchange.

Referring to climate data, he emphasized how quickly temperatures are rising, especially in the north. “If the global average temperature rises by 1.5 degrees, the increase will be 3 degrees in Helsinki and up to 4.5 degrees in Ylläs. The impacts are more pronounced in the north.”

White Winters is a pioneering initiative focused on the sustainability challenges of winter sports. The April event was organized by Nasdaq, Ski Sport Finland, Levi Ski Resort and Solved, and brought together a wide range of experts in winter sports, material innovation and sustainable business to explore concrete solutions to the climate challenges facing the future of winter sports.

According to Voipio, the majority of emissions have occurred in recent decades. “You can’t say someone else did this. We did it ourselves – and we also must be the ones to fix it.”

He pointed out that the most impactful solutions don’t come from symbolic gestures. “There’s too much greenwashing. For example, switching to bamboo plates instead of regular ones doesn’t matter. What matters is looking at the data and being honest.”

Voipio highlighted the central role of travel and accommodation in emissions – and the fact that they can be influenced.

White Winters brings people together

White Winters acts as a platform that connects ski resorts, manufacturers, sports federations, and experts. Santtu Hulkkonen, CEO of Solved and the director of the White Winters program, explained the initiative’s purpose: “This is what we’ve been doing at Solved for a long time – bringing solutions, people, and opportunities together. White Winters was born out of a desire to make things happen faster and more directly for winter sports.”

The event was the first Nasdaq White Winters gathering. Nasdaq’s Erja Retzén noted that the collaboration supports long-term sustainability efforts: “We are committed to promoting sustainable development in our own operations, and most of our clients also report extensively on their sustainability efforts.”

Levi leads by example

Levi Ski Resort, Finland’s leading ski destination, is a forerunner in sustainable winter tourism. Business Director Marko Mustonen described how the resort has focused on energy efficiency, water reuse, and snowmaking technology for years. “We are not building new slope areas, but modernizing existing areas, making them more energy-efficient and smarter with the latest technology. From our long-term data, we can see the amount of snow needed per area to be snowed by following the data from the automatic snowmaking system, and thus, we can direct operations accordingly.”

Levi makes use of its infrastructure year-round and is developing ways to balance tourism flows across the seasons better. The White Winters partnership has opened doors to deeper involvement in international sustainability networks.

Janne Leskinen, CEO of the national federation Ski Sport Finland, stressed that sports organizations also carry responsibility. “Sport has been somewhat sidelined in the sustainability discussion. It’s important that we also take action. White Winters is visible through athletes and brings together technology and the industry.” According to Leskinen, White Winters is not just a project but a growing community that aims to reshape the way sport operates.

Solutions already exist

Companies presenting at the event showed how emissions can already be reduced. Tuija Kalpala from Betolar presented a material that offers a low-carbon alternative to cement. Petri Alava from Infinited Fiber introduced a fiber made entirely from textile waste that mimics the properties of cotton.

Peter Zeitlin of Amer Sports emphasized the importance of product design: “For a large manufacturer, small changes – such as in ski construction – can make a big difference in emissions.” Katri Pylkkänen from Finnish Textile & Fashion stressed the impact of emotionally durable design: “Products that people don’t get tired of quickly can significantly reduce consumption.” She also mentioned that the EU is currently preparing minimum durability requirements for clothing.

Thank you – and you’re welcome to join

The White Winters community warmly thanks the organizations and individuals who took part and supported the event: Nasdaq, Ski Sport Finland, Levi Ski Resort, Solved, Betolar, Infinited Fiber, Amer Sports, Finnish Textile & Fashion, and SnowSecure – as well as all other partners. The White Winters program invites leading sustainable companies with a proven positive impact on the climate and environment. You’re welcome to learn more and connect.

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Ask more

Santtu Hulkkonen, CEO, Solved & Program Director, White Winters,
+358 50 373 2895, [email protected]

Marko Mustonen, Commercial Director, Oy Levi Ski Resort Ltd,
+358 40 518 4559, [email protected]

Erja Retzén, Senior Managing Director, Nasdaq Nordic,
+358 50 324 1549, [email protected]

Janne Leskinen, CEO, Ski Sport Finland,
+358 40 030 0930, [email protected]