The fight against the climate crisis has taken center stage in the agenda of the International Ski Federation (FIS). Part of its commitment is to reduce CO2 emissions across the entire snow sports ecosystem, from national ski associations to event organizers. With this goal in mind, FIS has developed a key tool: the CO2 Calculator, specifically designed to measure and manage emissions generated during snow sports events.
The CO2 Calculator allows event organizers to better understand the carbon footprint they generate, facilitating more sustainable decisions in areas such as energy, mobility, and snow production. Susanna Sieff, FIS Sustainability Director, highlights the importance of this tool by stating: “The calculator gives you the option to choose, for example, between a catering service offering vegan or meat-based food and understand how much each would contribute to your event’s carbon footprint. You can make decisions based on tangible and verified numbers.” The simplicity and accuracy of this calculator make it an essential tool for any skiing or snowboarding event.
In addition to the calculator, FIS has implemented a series of resources to ensure its correct adoption, including user guides, training videos, and online workshops. These efforts aim to promote uniformity in emission measurements across all FIS events, facilitating comparison and transparency between them. As Sieff points out: “Our intention is for as many stakeholders as possible to adopt the FIS CO2 Calculator, which would provide much more uniformity, transparency, and comparability in snow sports when dealing with emissions.”
The impressive figures of FIS
The figures revealed by FIS are impressive. In 2023, the organization’s total carbon footprint was 2,161.7 tons of CO2 equivalent, while the 177 events of the 2023/24 season generated an estimated 58,600 tons. This reflects the significant impact that sports events can have on the environment and highlights the need for coordinated action to reduce these emissions.
However, spectator travel continues to be the biggest challenge regarding emissions, accounting for over 465,000 additional tons of CO2e. These travels represent a considerable proportion of the global event emissions, emphasizing the importance of developing more sustainable solutions for fan mobility in the future.
According to Susanna Sieff: “The effects of the climate crisis are, quite simply, the most crucial challenge of our lifetime. We cannot afford not to use all the science available to understand exactly what the situation is and what we can do to make a difference.” For FIS, the climate challenge is the biggest the sport faces, and adopting science and technology to mitigate its impact is a priority.
