Clear Ambition: – We Take a Clear Responsibility

Trondheim 2025 works to eeduce the overall climate footprint of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.

– We cannot save the planet, but we want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and inspire future championships, says Ola Rønning, Sustainability Manager for the FIS Nordic World Championships.

Trondheim 2025 recognizes that major championships can generate significant greenhouse gas emissions. The first FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 1925 was likely the most climate-friendly.

A century later, Trondheim 2025 has set an ambitious goal: to become the most sustainable Nordic World Ski Championships in history.

– Just as the athletes compete for medals, we have an ambitious sustainability goal that we are striving toward. We have prioritized six UN Sustainable Development Goals where we believe we can make a difference. We take full responsibility for reducing our environmental impact, says Rønning.

A Giant Leap for the Environment

Ski sports break down cultural barriers, inspire future generations, and unite millions of people of all ages and nationalities.

Trondheim 2025 aims to use the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships to inspire action, drive lasting change, and strengthen the community around sustainable solutions, ensuring that ski sports unite future generations.

Several initiatives have been implemented to prioritize green energy solutions during the planning and execution phases, including emission-free heating in the championship venue and the absence of public parking in Granåsen.

– This is fantastic and a giant leap for the environment, says Rønning, referring to the zero-emission heating in the competition area.

– Heating our temporary tents in Granåsen with wood briquettes instead of diesel generators equates to heating 1,164 Norwegian households for a year or providing heat for a local school in Trondheim for 29 years, he continues.

This measure reduces CO₂ emissions by 754,120 CO₂ equivalents compared to the 2011 World Championships, which relied on diesel generators. Additionally, Trondheim 2025 uses battery storage instead of diesel generators for backup power, saving 168,000 kg of CO₂ equivalents.

Furthermore, Trondheim 2025 is committed to reducing its climate footprint through conscious transport choices.

– The International Ski and Snowboard Federation estimates that 65% of emissions from major events are linked to transportation. By encouraging public transport, spectators can reduce their carbon footprint by 75% compared to driving. Additionally, we avoid 7,500 cars daily, which would otherwise create a continuous traffic jam stretching 30 km, Rønning explains.

– We are doing everything possible to make this championship as green as possible. We are utilizing the best available technology, including ensuring that all accredited transportation consists of electric cars and buses, adds Kjetil Førsvoll, Head of Transportation for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.

At the competition venues, single-use packaging is minimized, unnecessary procurements are avoided, and disposable cups are recycled. A composting machine is also in place to reduce overall food waste. Within the organizing committee, responsible consumption—with a strong focus on reuse and recycling—has been a key principle in lowering the environmental footprint.

– Whether big or small, every sustainable action matters because it proves that change is possible, says Susanna Sieff, Sustainability Manager at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation.

– We can organize events crucial for local communities and the passion for our sport while considering environmental and social responsibility. She adds that we can use our platform to credibly drive change across the entire FIS ecosystem by doing so.

Sieff does not claim that the Trondheim World Championships will be “the most sustainable FIS Nordic World Ski Championships ever,” acknowledging that location and culture vary between host cities.

She prefers to say that the championships will be “the most sustainable event Trondheim could organize.”

– Trondheim has undoubtedly considered sustainability from the beginning and integrated it across all areas, making significant progress in reducing environmental impact and strengthening social benefits, Sieff states.

Trondheim Has Succeeded

To minimize emissions and create a more sustainable championship, Trondheim 2025 has used the Green Producers Tool, a climate assessment tool designed for sporting events to help reduce CO₂ emissions in winter sports.

– This tool has helped us map out our climate footprint and identify the key areas where we can reduce emissions. It has provided a foundation for making research-based decisions throughout the planning process, says Rønning.

– Transportation, energy, procurement, food and beverages, and waste management stand out as major contributors, and we have implemented targeted measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in these areas, he explains.

As a pilot project for all FIS event organizers, Trondheim 2025 is leading the way in climate tracking and will report on scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions in its sustainability accounting.

– All the work that has been done places Trondheim among the most successful sustainable events,” Sieff states before adding:

– It is essential that all future FIS Nordic World Ski Championships follow this path and do as much as possible.

The goal is for Falun 2027, which will host the next FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, to take things further.

– We are the first FIS Nordic World Ski Championships to hand over a detailed climate report to the next host city. I hope this motivates Falun 2027, Narvik 2029, and future championships to surpass what we have achieved. I genuinely want them to be even better than us, concludes Rønning.