Featured Image: FIS flag with other nation flags. Credit: GEPA
On November 26th, the Federation of International Skiing (FIS) advanced its efforts to enhance the sustainability of snow sports.
FIS announced a collaboration under the ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions program (BASS) between FIS and the European Space Agency (ESA) to create and execute space-based solutions to aid in combating climate change, safeguarding biodiversity, and promoting the expansion of the circular economy.
At the ESA BASS conference, ‘Towards a space-powered economy’, held on November 25th and 26th in the United Kingdom, officials signed and announced the Memorandum of Intent to work on these space-based solutions.
Davide Coppola, Head of ESA’s Space Applications Initiatives Section stated, “The connection between sports events and sustainability is becoming increasingly important, as the industry plays a key role in advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.”
“This collaboration not only fosters innovation but also has the potential to make a substantial impact on the broader events industry, supporting its efforts to achieve essential sustainability targets on a large scale,” He continued.
The next step will be for the ESA and FIS to outline the first space application activities they will focus on under the Memorandum of Intent.
FIS Sustainability Director Susanna Sieff stated, “Issues like the climate crisis and loss of biodiversity do not pertain to any specific area of society: they are the fundamental challenge of our lifetime, for all of us, and can only be addressed through collective effort.”
“This is our reasoning when entering a partnership like this with ESA, which brings the highest level of human knowledge and technology to our common mission of making the world – and snow sports, for that matter – much more sustainable,” she explained.
Making Strides After Demands Last Season
Last season Protect Our Winter (POW) and athletes demanded that the Federation of International Skiing (FIS) search for achievable solutions to reduce the sport’s environmental impacts and asked for more transparency.
FIS characterized POW’s campaign as ‘highly unattractive’ and highlighted various elements they considered misleading. Nevertheless, FIS moved forward by announcing initiatives aimed at reducing their carbon footprint and enhancing the sustainability of the sport.
In summary, the announcement included the following initiatives:
- FIS signed the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework (UNFCCC), where they committed to reduce its carbon emissions by 50% by 2030.
- Collect as much data as possible through this upcoming season to create a future sustainability plan.
- FIS will calculate their emissions as an organization, so they have operational management and control. Then, they can reduce their footprint within their control, through their CO2 reduction plan.
- Delay the start of the season by one week and will continue to monitor that date.
- Spread awareness among the national associations on ways to cut emissions and reduce environmental impact.
- Strengthen partnerships internationally with other Sport Federations and NGOs, broadening partnerships for sustainability development.
- FIS hired a well-qualified Sustainability Director, Susanna Sieff.
- The FIS Rainforest Initiative was created to support indigenous people and avoid deforestation projects.
The Memorandum of Intent established in collaboration with the ESA represents an advancement in addressing the various objectives associated with the different initiatives that FIS introduced in the previous season.
Quotes from FIS-Ski announcement.
About the Author: Ellie Hartman
