sustainability

Silvrettaseilbahn AG is a cable car company based in Ischgl, Tyrol, Austria. Founded in 1961, the joint stock company operates the cross-border Silvretta Arena together with its partner company in Samnaun. The area includes 46 cable car systems and 239 kilometres of pistes. Silvrettaseilbahn AG is the region’s economic leader and largest employer.

Silvrettaseilbahn AG has a share capital of €3.5 million, primarily held locally. The largest shareholder is the municipality of Ischgl (27.88%), followed by the Paznaun municipal association (22.33%) and the Association of Ischgl Tourism Companies (19.39%). The remaining shares are distributed among local businesses and private individuals. This ownership structure ensures a strong regional foundation, retaining value creation and jobs locally. Since the company’s founding, owners have waived dividend payments, allowing investments without external financing and ensuring financial independence. Both tourist and non-tourist small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as local workers, benefit equally from the consistent investment in the comfort and quality of the tourism infrastructure.

Silvrettaseilbahn AG is a versatile company with several business areas extending beyond traditional ski operations. The company operates 46 cable car and chairlift systems in the Silvretta Arena Ischgl/Samnaun, serving skiers in winter and hikers and mountain bikers in summer. Another core area is alpine dining, with eleven mountain restaurants. Since the 2022/23 winter season, the company has also operated the Silvretta Therme, a modern wellness and leisure facility.

Regular stakeholder dialogues are conducted with locals, partners, and the media under professional guidance. The outcomes contribute to evaluating important ecological, social, and corporate topics.

The economic challenges resulting from changes in temperature, precipitation and wind conditions are diverse and complex. They not only affect snow management but also entail economic risks for Silvrettaseilbahn AG. Measures to protect the climate and adapt to climate change are therefore not only imperative but also essential for securing ski operations as a central business model in the medium and long term. Ultimately, climate protection measures help maintain the company’s economic stability and secure regional value creation for future generations.

Since 2018/19 fiscal year, corporate carbon footprints have been prepared according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. From 2023/24 onwards, these reports are produced regularly.

Yes. The goal is to reduce company emissions to under 6,000 t CO₂ eq by 2030, in line with the Paris Agreement.

Here are the measures we are implementing in the short, medium and long term to achieve this ambitious goal:

The current climate action brief (Fokuspapier) outlines the challenges, milestones, completed measures, and future goals, including the latest climate balance of Silvrettaseilbahn AG, including the derivation of well-founded targets and planned improvement measures.

Link to the Fokuspapier CLIMATE PROTECTION FY 2023/24 (PDF)

Since early 2024, a dedicated CSR team has been active, comprising members from different departments:

• Günther Zangerl, Board member
• Markus Siegele, Authorised Signatory
• Armin Zangerl, Operations Manager
• Elmar Habicher, Controlling 
• Alexander Mahr, Catering Purchasing 
• Thomas Kleinheinz, Marketing and Product Development 
• Evelyne Schweighofer, Marketing Silvretta Therme 

Contact: 
Board Member Mag. Günther Zangerl 
T +43 5444 606 103
guenther.zangerl@silvretta.at

Silvrettaseilbahn AG relies on renewable energy in several areas. Since 2021, the company has been using TÜV-certified green electricity from 100% hydropower from illwerke vkw AG in Vorarlberg. The wellness and leisure facility Silvretta Therme is supplied with geothermal energy via geothermal probes and deep wells, providing a resource-saving alternative to conventional heating systems. This also applies to other new buildings, such as the Team Resort, which also draws energy from a deep well. Three new chairlift facilities are to be equipped with 1,400 m² of PV modules by the 2026/27 financial year. Together with a new small hydropower plant, the aim is to generate over 1.6 GWh of electricity per year from renewable energy sources.

Silvrettaseilbahn AG regularly conducts detailed analyses of energy and fuel consumption, efficiency measures and renewable energies. Based on this, measures are continuously implemented to increase energy efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions, for example through modern, energy-saving cable car facilities and optimised snowmaking systems.

Silvrettaseilbahn AG places great importance on the efficient and responsible use of resources when it comes to technical snowmaking. Snow is produced exclusively with water and air - without any chemical additives. Modern, energy-efficient snow guns enable a drastic increase in the conversion rate of water to snow, especially in difficult conditions, which significantly reduces energy consumption.

Additionally, precise snow management, i.e., accurate and forward-looking planning of snow quantities for each slope, leads to savings in water and electricity costs and contributes to the careful use of resources.  Some of the water for snow production comes from the company's own reservoirs, which are filled with melt and precipitation water. After the winter season, the water is returned to the natural cycle as the snow melts.

Good to know!
Like natural snow, technical snow consists of nothing more than water and air. Fan guns and snow lances are used to simulate snowfall and crystallize snowflakes. Snowmaking technology involves the use of nucleators which produce a mixture of water and compressed air which forms nuclides (= snow nuclei) upon entering the atmosphere. The nozzles on snow guns atomise the water into fine droplets, which combine with the nuclides and freeze into small snow crystals on their way down to the ground. This descent is simulated differently by different snow producers. Fan guns and/or snow guns are fitted with an air blower for this purpose, while snow lances use the natural drop height of up to ten metres. 

Technical snow consists only of water and air, without any chemical additives or artificial aids. 

While our guests ultimately decide how they travel, we consider it a shared responsibility to encourage more climate-friendly mobility by creating supportive conditions and offering targeted information on-site.

One concrete measure is the introduction of car park management: since the 2022/23 winter season, a fee has been charged for the use of Silvrettaseilbahn AG’s parking facilities. This initiative is intended to encourage more mindful decisions regarding transport choices. In addition, we invest over €1 million annually in the regional ski bus service – including increasing its frequency to every 30 minutes – a targeted incentive to promote the use of public and shared transportation.

In cooperation with ÖBB/Railtours, we have also been offering attractive Nightjet combination tickets for the Silvretta ski pass since the 2024/25 winter season. 

Link to the arrival and departure emissions of guests

Our guests benefit from discounts when using public transport. 

With a valid guest card from the Paznaun-Ischgl region or a valid ski pass, our guests can use the local buses between Landeck-Zams and Galtür-Wirl (in summer up to the Bieler Höhe) free of charge. 

The Silvretta Card Premium, valid in summer, allows unlimited and free use of all regional buses in Paznaun (from/to Landeck) and in Montafon (to St. Anton im Montafon). 

Silvrettaseilbahn AG in Ischgl provides car parks with charging stations or fast charging stations for electric vehicles at the following locations: Addresses with link. Parkgarage Silvretta P1, Silvrettaplatz 2, 651 Ischgl, Parkgarage Florian P3, Florianplatz, 6561 Ischgl, Florianparkplatz 6561 Ischgl,

Other EV charge points are also available in the Ischgl/Paznaun region. Their locations and availability can be viewed at chargemap.com, for example. Availability and number of charge points may vary. We recommend checking the information again shortly before travelling.

Currently, 90% of beverages are delivered in reusable containers. From winter 2025/26, no PET bottles or cans will be used. Further measures to avoid waste are currently being examined and analysed.

Food waste is unavoidable in our eleven restaurants. In future, we aim to specifically record this waste, identify potential savings along the process chain (warehouse, kitchen, buffet, plates) and implement measures to reduce it accordingly. Food waste has a negative impact on the climate due to wasted resources and emissions during disposal. The goal is to reduce the weight of waste by 50% by 2030 (base year 2025/26).