Whistler, BC – The Whistler Centre for Sustainability is working with GranFondo Canada, the producers of the RBC GranFondo Whistler, on a sustainability strategy to make their events as sustainable as possible. This is the first event of this size in Whistler (apart from the 2010 Winter Games) that has developed a comprehensive sustainability plan to guide its planning and execution for this and subsequent years.
“The RBC GranFondo Whistler has just set the bar for Whistler events. We hope that all events coming to Whistler will begin considering their own sustainability strategy that will achieve positive economic and community outcomes as well as having lower environmental impact,” indicated Cheeying Ho, Executive Director of the Whistler Centre for Sustainability.
For this year’s event, taking place on Saturday, September 10, the RBC GranFondo Whistler has already committed to initiatives such as compost bins for food waste at all aid stations and the finishing area. “We are excited to welcome the RBC GranFondo Whistler again this year with over 7000 riders and their supporters,” said Mayor Ken Melamed. “This event generates tremendous business for our community, and I am particularly pleased that they are reducing their environmental footprint as well.”
GranFondo Canada has adopted CSA (Canadian Standards Association) standards for sustainable events and its own strategic goals that it aims to achieve by 2020 in order to become a sustainable event:
- All of their suppliers, partners and sponsors have a proven commitment to sustainable practices, and are local where possible.
- Their events create a positive impact in each community they start, touch and finish in.
- Their events use materials efficiently and are zero ‘waste to landfill’.
- They use only sustainable energy sources and modes for all their transport needs.
- All toxic materials have been replaced with alternatives or are recycled/reused in tight technical cycles.
The RBC GranFondo Whistler is a cycling event from Vancouver to Whistler along the Sea to Sky Highway. GranFondo’s are mass cycling events that have been popular in Europe for decades, and are gaining momentum in North America.
About the Whistler Centre for Sustainability
The is an enterprising non-profit organization, with a mission to ‘lead communities and tourism toward a sustainable future’. The expertise of the Centre is derived from the experience in the development and management of Whistler’s award-winning community sustainability plan, Whistler2020, over the past five years. The Centre now exports this expertise to other communities and the tourism sector through consulting services, education, capacity building and research. For more information, visit www.whistlercentre.ca.
Source: Whistler Centre for Sustainability.
