IOC Announces Climate Action Award Winners, Honoring Athletes, Federations, and NOCs

Among the honorees are distinguished athletes among other highly important committees.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has unveiled the victors of its inaugural Climate Action Awards, lauding athletes, International Federations (IFs), and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) for their proactive measures in combatting the climate crisis.

Distinguished athletes Ben Blankenship (track and field, USA), Marcus Mepstead (fencing, Great Britain), and Paloma Schmidt (sailing, Peru) are among the honorees, along with World Rugby, World Sailing, the Colombian Olympic Committee, and the Spanish Olympic Committee. Selected from a pool of over 70 submissions spanning three award categories: sustainable travel, innovation, and athlete advocacy.

Endorsed by Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partners Airbnb, Deloitte, and P&G, these awards serve to commend impactful initiatives within the Olympic Movement that aim to mitigate sport's environmental impact while inspiring others to follow suit.

Marie Sallois, IOC Director for Sustainability, noted:

“We celebrate the remarkable efforts of these athletes, NOCs and IFs through the IOC Climate Action Awards, recognising the action they are taking to address the climate crisis. Through their powerful projects and inspiring advocacy, they are proving that sport has the power to drive positive change and contribute to a more sustainable future.”

The Climate Action x Sustainable Travel Award, backed by Airbnb, has been conferred upon British fencer Marcus Mepstead in the athlete category, World Sailing in the IF category, and the Spanish Olympic Committee in the NOC category. This accolade acknowledges effective actions and advocacy for sustainable travel within the sporting calendar.

Mepstead earned recognition for implementing an annual travel plan geared toward minimizing emissions, while World Sailing's focus on curtailing organizational travel and endorsing public transport use for staff to reduce travel-related emissions earned them the honor. The Spanish Olympic Committee's commitment to sustainable mobility, utilizing electric and hybrid vehicles from Worldwide Olympic Partner Toyota and public transport for domestic travel, secured their award.

Ameet Konkar, Airbnb Head of Sustainability, expressed enthusiasm, stating:

“We're excited to recognise the efforts of Marcus, World Sailing and the Spanish Olympic Committee through the Climate Action x Sustainable Travel Award. At Airbnb, we strongly believe in making travel more sustainable. This award showcases the commitment the Olympic community is making to reduce its impact and promote more conscious travel practices.”

The Climate Action x Innovation Award, supported by Deloitte, has been bestowed upon Peruvian sailor Paloma Schmidt in the athlete category, World Rugby in the IF category, and the Colombian Olympic Committee in the NOC category. This award recognizes the creative and inventive solutions advanced by athletes, IFs, and NOCs to advance climate action.

Schmidt was honored for her contributions to the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) European Championships in Andora, Italy, where she introduced measures to minimize waste at the event. World Rugby's "The Bag that Builds" initiative, developed in collaboration with the South African Rugby Union and the Centre for Regenerative Design & Collaboration (CRDC), collected event-generated waste and repurposed it into eco-aggregates for constructing social housing in South Africa, earning them recognition. The Colombian Olympic Committee's initiative to manage, reduce, and advocate on carbon emissions at the National Sea and Beach Games in Tolú (Coveñas) in 2021, now extended to other sporting events, was also acknowledged.

Jennifer Steinmann, Deloitte Global Sustainability and Climate practice leader, emphasized, "Innovation helps to drive climate action. These initiatives help society implement long-term behavior change at scale. Through the Climate Action x Innovation Award, Deloitte is proud to recognize and support Paloma Schmidt, World Rugby, and the Colombian Olympic Committee's efforts within the Olympic Movement that help to reduce emissions and implement circular economy principles – paving the way for more sustainable sport."

The Climate Action x Athlete Advocacy Award, bolstered by P&G, aims to honor athletes actively engaging individuals and communities in the climate change fight. It was conferred upon US middle-distance athlete Ben Blankenship for his work with the Endless Mileage Project, which plants trees for every American miler breaking the 4-minute (men) and 4:30-minute (women) milestones while redistributing used sports clothing and equipment to local schools.

P&G's Chief Sustainability Officer Virginie Helias conveyed their excitement, remarking:

“As a long-standing partner of the Olympic Games, we have seen the power athletes have to inspire others to take action. We are thrilled to support Ben Blankenship as he uses his platform to foster a culture of sustainability by recognising him with the Climate Action x Athlete Advocacy Award,”

Launched in November 2022, the IOC Climate Action Awards aim to underscore the crucial role of sports in addressing the climate crisis.

The IOC is actively advancing its commitment to combat climate change by aiming to reduce its direct and indirect emissions by 30% by 2024 and 50% by 2030, aligning with the Paris Agreement. Additionally, the IOC is establishing the Olympic Forest, a part of the Great Green Wall initiative focused on restoring degraded landscapes in Africa's Sahel region.

Furthermore, the IOC is enhancing requirements for the Olympic Games to address climate change, compelling Games organizers from 2030 onward to minimize direct and indirect Games-related carbon emissions while striving to offset more carbon than the Games project emits. They are also leveraging their influence to encourage stakeholders to take climate action.

 

Source: Olympics.com