As requested by POW via an open letter and petition, the international ski association FIS presented a sustainability strategy on January 15, 2024.
Vienna (OTS) – In the “FIS Impact Program”, the international ski association itself commits to more transparency, a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030 as well as strategies for energy optimization and more sustainable mobility. The demands that POW made to the FIS in the media have now been officially recorded and linked to the necessary steps:
- To POW’s request to publish its environmental impact with full transparency, the FIS responds with the balance sheet for the 23/24 season, which will be available to the public no later than summer 2024.
- The implementation of a goal-based sustainability strategy required by POW, including a roadmap to achieve a 50% emissions reduction by 2030, will be developed based on the balance sheet to be published in 2024. Projects such as energy optimization, travel guidelines, sustainable fan mobility and assistance for event organizers and national organizations are to be implemented.
- POW also called on the FIS to adapt its competition calendar to reduce the impact of travel and to accommodate changing climatic conditions. This requirement is now being implemented on an ongoing basis, according to the FIS.
- According to POW, the FIS should also use its political influence at government level to promote climate protection measures. In this regard, there are plans to form a coalition of winter sports athletes, media, partners and fans in December 2024 to jointly develop guidelines on sustainability communication and thus communicate measures against the climate crisis to the outside world as part of a campaign.
“The plan for implementing the sustainability strategy is not yet very concrete, but in order to be able to draw up the new balance sheet, we first have to wait for the end of the season.”
, POW AT President Verena Stahl comments on the efforts of the FIS. According to its own information, the international ski association sent out questionnaires to 35 venues across all disciplines in order to be able to realistically scale up to all events. The new figures can then be used to transparently determine where and how emissions are specifically reduced. POW welcomes the development and is optimistic: “There are already many sustainably thinking ski area operators and race organizers. After the first Ski Industry Climate Summit, ski and boot manufacturers are becoming increasingly ambitious. Together with the FIS, the foundation has been laid for a more sustainable future for the entire winter sports industry.”
said Moritz Nachtschatt, POW AT Managing Director. Of course, what would be crucial now are the coming months until the next season, in which the entire winter sports community will keep an eye on the FIS. “The FIS Impact Program is an important step towards credible climate protection and can be celebrated as a success that would not exist without the commitment of athletes and POW. Nevertheless, so far they are only plans and we will continue to closely monitor their implementation.”
, sums up ÖSV ski racer Julian Schütter, who together with POW handed over an open letter to the FIS in 2023 and thus got the development rolling. POW’s public petition, which reached over 30,000 signatures within a week, will be handed over to the ski association at the end of the month at the FIS headquarters in Oberhofen, Switzerland.
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Protect Our Winters Austria | Lena Öller | Lena@protectourwinters.at | www.protectourwinters.at