Timeline of responsible actions

We want to offer travellers the possibility of a car-free ski holiday in Ski-Inn accommodation.

In 2000, we adopted the Ruka Master Plan, created by Ecosign Mountain Planners, with the aim of developing Ruka into a year-round, international resort that respects the surrounding nature and principles of sustainable development. At the core of the plan are cozy pedestrian villages, easy access to year-round services without a car, and so-called “hot beds” in ski-in/ski-out locations. The idea behind hot beds is to maximize the occupancy of holiday apartments, instead of leaving privately owned holiday homes empty for most of the year.

In 2008, we introduced our environmental program and, in line with it, switched to electricity and district heating produced from renewable resources. This reduced our energy-related emissions by around 80% in ski resort operations and nearly 100% in accommodation.

That same year, Ruka joined the first phase of the EU Energy Efficiency Agreement, and we renewed our commitment in 2017.

We were among the founders of Pro Kuusamo ry in 2013. The association’s mission is to preserve Kuusamo as a nature and tourism region, while supporting nature-based livelihoods and their employment impact for future generations. Pro Kuusamo has been an active opponent of the Juomasuo mining project, which is considered a major threat to the region’s natural values and tourism industry.

Ruka was the first ski resort in Finland to introduce large-scale snow storage. A new method for preserving snow over the summer was tested for the first time in 2016. The technique proved effective and worth developing further, and snow storage has since become a vital part of Ruka’s snow reliability. Its energy savings come from producing snow in optimal conditions, reducing the need for snowmaking during the warmer and more humid early season.

Learn more about snow storage and Ruka’s snow reliability.

We began using renewable energy in ski resort operations and Ski-Inn accommodations in 2008. This means that lifts, snowmaking, slope lighting, and property heating no longer generate greenhouse gas emissions. In 2018, we also started offsetting the fossil fuel emissions from our operations (snow groomers, snowmobiles, ski bus, and other vehicles). In addition, we offset the emissions from staff commuting.

We were the first ski resort in Finland to start regular emission offsetting.

Our offsets have been directed to Gold Standard-certified projects supported by WWF as well as Verra-certified projects. The compensations made by Rukakeskus Oy can be found in the Gold Standard registry and the Verra registry.

In line with the Ruka Master Plan, we are developing the resort with a long-term vision of making holidays easy without a car. At the heart of this vision are the Ski-Inn apartments, located just a few steps or a short ski away from the nearest lift. The need for driving has also been reduced by the Village-2-Valley gondola, which connects the western and eastern sides of Ruka. The gondola enables pedestrians, skiers, and cyclists to travel, for example, from Ruka Village to the Ruka Valley Rosa & Rudolf Family Park using renewable energy. Previously, this journey was typically made by private car or by the SkiBus.

 

In 2019, our environmental program was updated into a comprehensive responsibility program, which also includes social and economic responsibility.

Encouraging children and young people to enjoy snow sports is a key goal of our social responsibility initiatives. As a concrete measure, we began offering free season passes to 10-year-olds living in Kuusamo in 2019. This tradition continues every year.

At Ruka, we are committed to recycling because when waste is sorted correctly, it can be transformed from trash into raw materials or a source of energy. In 2019, we improved the sorting options at our Ski-Inn accommodations and other properties. We now provide collection for bio-waste, plastic, glass, metal, cardboard, paper, and combustible waste.

Read more about recycling at Ruka Ski-Inn accommodations.

Together with Pyhä, Ruka Ski Resort was the first ski resort in Finland to receive the Sustainable Travel Finland certification in July 2020. Sustainable Travel Finland is a Business Finland-managed program aimed at providing tourism companies and destinations with a model for developing sustainable tourism, making it easier to adopt responsible practices systematically. The program also includes regular reporting requirements.

We are committed to following Visit Finland’s principles for sustainable tourism in all our operations. You can read more about the criteria on the Sustainable Travel Finland program website.

The Sustainable Travel Finland certification encourages every traveller to respect, cherish, enjoy, and appreciate Finland’s natural environment. We invite everyone to make a sustainable tourism pledge – learn more about the promise in this video:

In 2021, we began using Neste MY Renewable Fuel Oil™, made 100% from waste and residues.

Switching to renewable fuel reduces the greenhouse gas emissions of Ruka’s and Pyhä’s piste machines by up to 85% compared to fossil fuel oil. This corresponds to a reduction of over 600 tonnes of CO₂ per year – equivalent to removing 230 passenger cars from Finnish roads for a year (calculated according to the EU Renewable Energy Directive 2018/2001/EU).

In addition to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, using renewable fuel also reduces local emissions, as Neste MY Renewable Fuel Oil™ burns cleaner than fossil fuels.

Rukakeskus Oy and Ski-Inn Hotels & Apartments Oy supported the Kuusinkijoki Restoration Project with a donation to the Nature Heritage Foundation in December 2022.

The Kuusinkijoki restoration project, initiated by Kuusinkijoki Kuntoon ry, aims to restore salmon migration to the spawning grounds above the Myllykoski power plant and mitigate the environmental impacts caused by the plant on the lower reaches of the river.

You can follow the progress of the project here: River Restoration – Kuusinkijoki Kuntoon.

As part of the extensive renovation of the Masto slope area, the use of an automated snowmaking system was expanded.

With the efficient automated snowmaking system, snow can be produced exactly when conditions are optimal. Snowmaking under ideal conditions is over ten times more energy-efficient, making the system’s rapid response to changing conditions critically important.

In addition, the new lighting for the Masto slope was installed using LED lights, which are approximately 30% more energy-efficient than the previous slope lighting.

In 2024, the Rukakeskus Group committed to the UN Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate responsibility initiative, with over 20,000 companies and nearly 4,000 other organizations across more than 160 countries. Organizations participating in the UN Global Compact are committed to advancing ten principles of corporate responsibility and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which together form a global framework for responsible business practices.

More information and the ten principles of corporate responsibility can be found at globalcompact.fi.

In autumn 2024, we began the Green Key certification process for our Ski-Inn accommodations. Green Key is an internationally recognised sustainability certification for the tourism industry, having been awarded to thousands of businesses worldwide. Its criteria are based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and include requirements related to reducing environmental impact, increasing social benefits, and supporting the local economy.

Learn more about the Green Key certification.

We introduced our first electric snowmobiles for the 2024–2025 winter season. The snowmobiles run on renewable electricity, producing zero CO₂ emissions. They are also significantly more energy-efficient and quieter than traditional snowmobiles and do not cause unpleasant odors.

Ruka and Pyhä’s Ski-Inn Hotels & Apartments were awarded the internationally recognized Green Key sustainability certification in recognition of our long-term and impactful sustainability work.

Green Key is the world’s leading sustainability certification for the tourism sector. It is awarded to businesses that meet criteria based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, covering areas such as energy efficiency, water use, waste management, and responsible procurement.

Read more about the Green Key certification 
 

In addition, Ski-Inn Hotels & Apartments at Ruka and Pyhä were awarded the Visit Finland STF (Sustainable Travel Finland) label in December 2025. STF is Visit Finland’s official label and development program for sustainable tourism, designed to support and promote sustainable practices within the Finnish tourism industry. Receiving the label requires, among other things, a commitment to environmental, social, and economic responsibility goals, as well as third-party certification.
The STF label further reinforces our commitment to sustainability in Ski-Inn operations. The ski resorts at Ruka and Pyhä have held the STF label since 2020.

Read more about the STF label

 

In celebration of Ruka’s 70th anniversary, we offered free season passes to all 10-year-olds in Finland for the 2024–2025 winter season. Encouraging and inspiring children and young people to enjoy snow sports is an important part of our social responsibility work.

Since 2019, we have supported local youth by providing free season passes to all 10-year-olds living in Kuusamo. This tradition continues annually.

For the first time in 2025, we directed the offsetting of emissions from slope operations, ski bus use, and staff commuting to the protection of Finnish peatlands. Previously, offsets were directed to internationally certified projects under Gold Standard and Verra. This decision was based on the effectiveness of peatland protection in climate action, as well as changes in legislation.

Protecting peatland carbon stocks is crucial for combating climate change. Drainage lowers the water table in peatlands, allowing oxygen to reach the peat layer and causing it to decompose. Learn more about peatland protection and its impact on climate change mitigation at hiiliporssi.fi.

The Hiilipörssi peatland registry can be found at hiiliporssi.fi 

Ruka and Pyhä, together with the Finnish Ski Association, joined the international White Winters programme, which aims to secure the future of winter sports amid climate change and biodiversity loss. The programme brings together snow sport stakeholders and experts to develop practical solutions to sustainability challenges and to accelerate the adoption of climate- and environmentally friendly innovations in ski resorts and winter sports events.