Photographer kneels by the pond and photographs the sky, hut in the background
Press

Sustainability

"Thanks to the Kitzsteinhorn’s snow-reliable high-altitude setting and diverse natural landscape, our guests can enjoy a wide range of sports and recreational activities throughout the year. To ensure that remains true, we will continue to treat this unique natural environment with care and use its resources responsibly."
Thomas Maierhofer, CEO of the Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG


Certified to Three ISO Standards
Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG is certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 50001 across all areas of its operations. The company leverages synergies from its long-standing partnerships with Hohe Tauern National Park, the Salzburg Institute of Ecology, and other renowned research institutions. Its sustainability efforts focus primarily on energy efficiency, environmental protection, and renewable energy.
 

Initiatives

Renewable Energy Generation

  • HYDROPOWER — The company-owned Grubbach small hydropower plant uses water efficiently throughout the year. In summer, its turbines convert 300 liters of meltwater and rainwater per second into electricity. In fall, the plant switches to pumping mode and pumps water for snowmaking. This combined pumping and hydropower facility generates approximately 1.3 million kWh of electricity annually.
  • SOLAR ENERGY — Large-scale photovoltaic systems installed on the roofs and facades of company-owned buildings generate approximately 500,000 kWh of electricity each year. The company plans to continue expanding its photovoltaic capacity.
  • GEOTHERMAL ENERGY — Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG heats all company-owned facilities and operations buildings without fossil fuels. Geothermal energy provides 300,000 kWh annually to heat the Kaprun Center, Kitz Camps, and Team Camps.
  • ENERGY RECOVERY — The company recovers 250,000 kWh of thermal energy each year from the drive motors of various systems.

Together, these systems generate approximately 2.35 million kWh of renewable electricity and heat annually.

  • In addition, the company sources all of its electricity from renewable, carbon-neutral sources. VERBUND Energy4Business GmbH supplies all company-operated facilities with green electricity sourced directly from the Kaprun power plants. This strengthens the regional circular economy within the energy sector as well.

Reducing the Carbon Footprint (Mobility)

  • Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG operates all of its diesel-powered snow groomers and heavy machinery with fossil-free HVO100 renewable diesel. The fuel is made from waste and residual materials, including used cooking oils and fats. HVO100 produces approximately 90% fewer CO2 emissions than conventional diesel, enabling the company to reduce its annual CO2 emissions by approximately 1,300 metric tons.
  • The MK Maiskogelbahn and Kitzsteinhorn valley stations each offer 16 EV charging points. The company can expand the charging infrastructure at both locations as demand grows.
  • The 3K K-onnection links the Maiskogel directly with the Kitzsteinhorn, eliminating the need for guests to drive to and from the head of the Kaprun Valley. This avoids up to 1.5 million kilometers of travel by private vehicle.
  • Many employees use company-owned electric vehicles to carpool between home and work. They charge the vehicles at company-operated charging stations using verified renewable electricity. This reduces the company’s annual CO2 emissions by approximately 39 metric tons.
  • Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG makes a significant financial contribution to an attractive public transportation network, helping to reduce transportation-related CO2 emissions:
    1. Holders of a valid ski pass travel free of charge on Bus 660 between Zell am See, Kaprun, and the Kitzsteinhorn.
    2. From late October through early May, everyone – including passengers without a ski pass or ski equipment – travels free of charge within Kaprun on Routes 660, K, and D.
    3. From Christmas through mid-April, holders of a valid ski pass travel free of charge on the ski bus routes connecting Niedernsill, Piesendorf, the Maiskogel, and the Kitzsteinhorn, as well as Fusch, Bruck, the Maiskogel, and the Kitzsteinhorn. They may also use the Pinzgauer Lokalbahn free of charge during this period.

Ecological Restoration & Revegetation

  • Through the “Kitzsteinhorn 2015” project, the Salzburg Institute of Ecology and Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG laid the groundwork for the sustainable restoration and revegetation of high-elevation areas on the Kitzsteinhorn. The seed-and-sod combination technique forms the basis of this work. The company salvages existing turf and fine-grained topsoil material and reuses both. Erosion-control geotextiles provide additional protection for the affected areas. This approach restores vegetation cover that closely resembles the natural landscape. The Salzburg Institute of Ecology’s ecological construction monitoring team summarizes the results as follows: “In total, more than ten hectares of previously unvegetated and partially eroded ski slopes have been restored and permanently revegetated.” Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG continues to carry out restoration and revegetation measures on an ongoing basis. The company plans and implements all construction projects in close cooperation with the Salzburg Institute of Ecology’s ecological construction monitoring team.

Partnerships

  • Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG and Hohe Tauern National Park have worked together for many years under an open-ended cooperation agreement. They promote continuous two-way knowledge sharing and leverage valuable synergies. Together, they offer guided educational tours led by National Park rangers at the Kitzsteinhorn in both summer and winter. The rangers share their knowledge of the sensitive high-alpine environment with guests and foster greater awareness of the need to protect it.
  • In 2022, the World Tourism Organization named Zell am See-Kaprun one of its “Best Tourism Villages.” The distinction recognizes outstanding rural tourism destinations with acknowledged natural and cultural assets. Award-winning destinations preserve and promote local values, products, and ways of life. At the same time, they develop tourism in an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable manner and use it as a driver of rural development, employment, and income.

Long-Term Research to Support Sustainable Planning and Decision-Making

  • Since 2010, the nonprofit research organization GEORESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH and Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG have jointly operated the Open Air Lab at the Kitzsteinhorn. Project partners include the Technical University of Munich, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, and the Munich Alpine Hazards and Mitigation Cluster. At this open-air laboratory, researchers study the effects of climate change on high-alpine surface and subsurface processes. Their research focuses on climate, glaciers, permafrost, and rock stability. “Our goal – and at the same time one of our greatest challenges – is to improve forecasts of future developments in both natural and human-influenced processes. These forecasts provide important decision support for sustainable strategies, planning, and projects.” GEORESEARCH

pro natura – pro ski Award

  • In 2011, the pro natura – pro ski Foundation presented the Kitzsteinhorn ski area with its namesake award during the XI Alpine Conference. The foundation assessed the environmental compatibility of the resort’s management practices, the company’s response to climate change, its long-term approach to improving its environmental performance, and the transparency with which it communicates its results. The Kitzsteinhorn stood out for its long-term concepts, consistently implemented measures, clearly assigned responsibilities, and high level of transparency toward the public.

Zell am See-Kaprun Holds the Austrian Ecolabel for Tourism Destinations

  • Following an audit in fall 2025, Zell am See-Kaprun received the Austrian Ecolabel for Tourism Destinations. The audit confirmed the region’s broad-based sustainability efforts, spanning mobility and energy, social responsibility, and regional value creation. As one of the destination’s key partners, Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG plays a leading role in driving and actively shaping the region’s sustainable development.

In its online magazine, Stories of Sustainability, Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG shows how it puts sustainability into practice every day at the Kitzsteinhorn.

Downloads
Press Releases