Greenpeace and POW Switzerland attack the World Ski Association: Greenwashing? FIS defends itself – environmental organization counters

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For Ursula Bittner, economic expert at Greenpeace in Austria, it’s clear: “The FIS tells winter stories when it claims to protect the climate or even be climate positive.” One of their studies showed that the four major alpine events in Kitzbühel, Schladming, Adelboden and Sölden accounted for 85 percent of the total emissions specified by the FIS for the discipline. That says Bittner to Zeit Online.

The Swiss-based nonprofit “Protect our Winters,” POW for short, feels the same way. “We have serious doubts about the logic of climate positivity if the project only slows rainforest deforestation,” explains Nicholas Bornstein, head of POW Switzerland.

FIS introduces rewards program

Does the FIS engage in greenwashing? In other words: are you trying to achieve an environmentally friendly and responsible image with smart PR methods without there being any basis for it? Blick asks the FIS. Crucially, the association’s carbon footprint estimate dates back to 2021.

“It will be updated soon,” it says. And: “We have developed a survey and a toolkit to provide practical advice on how FIS organizers can reduce their environmental footprint. In addition, a rewards program will recognize the FIS organizers who make the most progress from one season to the next.”

50 percent less emissions required

The FIS does not elaborate on the greenwashing allegation. Sustainability has become a “focus of our mission,” she writes. We work tirelessly to reduce the footprint. “We will continue to increase our commitment and continue to steer this agenda towards the lofty ambitions we have set for ourselves.”

For Bornstein, that’s not enough. “We are calling on FIS to develop a sustainability strategy that shows how they can reduce emissions by 50 percent by 2030, as they have pledged to do as part of the UN Sports for Climate Action.”

Bornstein praises the work of the FIS with partner Cool Earth. But the data on how to achieve a better climate is not transparent. “And the organization is a company that FIS president Johan Eliasch led and co-founded. He and the FIS have at least one conflict of interest here.” Blick confronted the FIS about the allegation Friday afternoon, but did not receive a response until evening.

One thing is certain: the subject will occupy all parties for a long time to come.

Source : Blick