US star Mikaela Shiffrin led calls for ski chiefs to change their approach to sustainability in a bid to make winter sports justifiable to a public ever more aware of climate change.
Entitled “Our sport is endangered”, a letter to International Ski Federation president (FIS) Johan Eliasch signed by Shiffrin and scores of others claimed the body’s current sustainability efforts were “insufficient”.
Citing race cancellations due to lack of snow, fewer pre-season training options “because glaciers are shrinking at a frightening pace” and the inability to produce artificial snow because of rising temperatures, “the public opinion about skiing is shifting towards unjustifiability”, the letter reads.
“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.
“This is our most important race, let’s win it together,” they said.
The letter signees called for the FIS to commit to reaching net-zero for all operations and events by 2035 or before, achieve the 50% emissions reduction by 2030, to install a sustainability department and guarantee full transparency.
Among their suggestions, the 142 athletes in the Protect Our Winters (POW) association that signed the letter called for the World Cup season to be moved to end-November to later in April, unlike the current alpine skiing season which starts in Solden in October.
They also demanded that an effort be made to cut carbon emissions by creating “a geographically reasonable race calendar” so the North American swing is done in one go, something they argue would “reduce approximately 1,500 tons of CO2”.
Author
World Cup News
-
Football
/ 2 weeks agoMessi’s 2022 World Cup jerseys predicted to top $10 mln at auction
A set of six jerseys that Lionel Messi wore during Argentina’s victorious 2022 World...
By AFP -
Football
/ 1 month agoSaudi ready for summer or winter World Cup in 2034: FA chief
Saudi Arabia is prepared to host the 2034 World Cup in summer or winter,...
By AFP -
Football
/ 1 month agoUpdate: Saudi Arabia only bidder for 2034 World Cup
Saudi Arabia is in line to host the 2034 World Cup after FIFA announced...
By AFP -
Football
/ 1 month agoRights groups seek guarantees as Saudi closes in on 2034 World Cup
Rights groups called for “binding commitments” from World Cup host nations after Australia opted...
By AFP