FIS ATHLETE LETTER TO DEMAND CLIMATE ACTION
CONTEXT:
Climate Change is threatening the future of winter sports with reduced and irregular snowfall combined with higher temperatures causing events to be cancelled and racers to compete in inferior and in some cases dangerous conditions.
Alpine Ski racer Julian Schütter has written an open letter calling on FIS to provide greater ambition and transparency in its action on sustainability and reduce the impact its own operations have on the planet and sport we love. He is calling on all FIS registered athletes to sign on to the letter below (using the form on this page) and make their voice heard.
LETTER (summary, full letter below):
FIS President Johan Eliasch
FIS Council members
Our sport is endangered
Dear Mr. Eliasch,
Dear FIS Council members,
As FIS athletes we are already experiencing the effects of climate change in our everyday lives and our profession. More and more often competitions have to be cancelled due to extreme weather events or lack of snow. Pre-season training slopes are getting rarer and shorter every year, because glaciers are shrinking at a frightening pace. A heatwave in January brings the next lack of snow to Europe. Soon we won’t be able to produce artificial snow at some classic World Cup slopes anymore as winter temperatures rise above zero in low altitude ski resorts more frequently. The public opinion about skiing is shifting towards unjustifiability. This will also bring the industry into trouble.
Our sport is threatened existentially and urgently.
That’s why we as a winter sports community have to take the lead in the fight against climate change and make our sport climate neutral as soon as possible. To do so we need progressive organizational action. We are aware of the current sustainability efforts of FIS and rate them as insufficient.
We request the following actions by FIS:
– FIS representatives must commit to reaching net-zero for all of FIS operations and events by 2035 or prior.
– FIS has to create a sustainability strategy of how to achieve the 50% emissions reduction by 2030, as committed to through the UN Sports for Climate Action framework and present it to the public before the start of 2024 season.
– FIS has to install a sustainability department that ensures that sustainability becomes a key aspect of all governance processes and operations, which must be controlled and certified by an independent organization.
– Full transparency is needed to back up FIS‘ role as a much needed pioneer.
Attached to this letter you will find a list of actions we think are the most important and a few sources that back our statements with evidence.
This is our most important race, let’s win it together.
Yours sincerely,
FIS athletes
Add your name here:
Demand greater action on climate change from FIS
All data entered will be handled carefully and discretely.
This action is supported by Protect Our Winters
