Sustainability

Nobody succeeds all on their own – SDG number 17, Partnerships for the goals, is our guiding star. Cooperation is essential to succeed on the road from global goals to local action. The 2025 World Ski Championships will succeed by collaborating with others. Joining forces in partnerships will make it easier to achieve our goals. We want to be an arena for sustainability cooperation, and a builder of networks across municipalities, business and industry, culture and sports, where building shared competence is crucial.

Working together to achieve our goals:

Sports are founded on cooperation, by definition. Just think about the sense of community and the volunteer spirit that are in play, every single day, in every single rural and urban area throughout Norway, that contribute to children, young people and adults having the opportunity to develop their full potential, experience a sense of achievement, fellowship and enthusiasm through physical activity. Another factor for success is found in the position sports occupies in our society. When we use our influence and our “platform”, we can have an impact on society, promoting positive changes within sustainability.

Major championships change the world – Sports promote more activity and healthy lifestyles. Therefore, SDG number 3, Good health and well-being, was a natural choice for us, and one of our six priority goals. We want to create the biggest winter wonderland festival ever, for the entire Trøndelag region. Major championships change the world. Getting together to experience sports excellence creates unity and builds pride. Many people still talk about 1997, the last time Trondheim organised the World Ski Championships, as a watershed moment. The championships changed our city, and along with it, the people. 1997 was the year when people from the Trøndelag region were weighed, measured, and boldly exceeded any and all expectations.

The World Ski Championships must be a championship for everyone. That means that everyone should feel integrated and included. It’s also about offering something more than just memorable sports moments and performances. During the World Championships, Trondheim, Trøndelag and Norway will have an opportunity to showcase our rich and varied culture, and inspire the whole world to embrace the fun and satisfaction that come with ski sports and physical activity.

More environmentally-friendly snowmaking – Around half the Norwegian population are represented in sports through membership and volunteer activity. We wield enormous influence, which means we also have an enormous responsibility to elevate the importance of sustainability throughout broader society. The World Ski Championships prioritise SDG number 9, Industry, innovation and infrastructure, because we believe this is an area where we can have an impact and drive change in the world going forward.

We want to contribute to new and more environmentally-friendly ways to make snow. Ski seasons are shrinking, and skiing sports are threatened by climate change. It’s also important to contribute to new and more eco-friendly transport solutions, as well as reducing food waste and use of plastic materials in connection with sports events. Here, the World Ski Championships carry a significant responsibility. There’ll be lots of people in Granåsen, and it’s important that we work to make sure we leave the smallest environmental footprint possible. No one wants to experience a messy, littered Bymarka (green belt on the west side of Trondheim).

One of our most important instruments of change is the fact that we are a test arena. Trondheim 2025 wants to support companies and communities that develop sustainable solutions. We’ll cheer them on and help them test solutions and concepts in connection with our events on the road to the World Championships.

Still not equal – International, top-level sports are mainly a privilege of large, rich nations. It’s important to be aware of the financial barriers within athletics. However, SDG number 10, Reduced inequalities, deals with much more than simple economics. It’s also about creating equal opportunities for women and men. It’s about integration and openness. Through action, we hope to contribute to greater overall equality within skiing sports, for example when it comes to prize money, having the same number of individual competitions for women and men and, in general, promoting female talents and role models that can help guide more women to embrace the Nordic skiing disciplines. The objective is for the 2026 Junior World Ski Championships in Trondheim to be even more sustainable than us. That will be our measure of success, demonstrating that the world has taken an important step in the right direction.

Responsible and accountable throughout - SDG number 12, Responsible consumption and production, is a demanding, but extremely important SDG for Trondheim 2025. Between 30 and 50 per cent of all food produced during the course of a year is never eaten, according to the report “Global Food; Waste Not, Want Not”. That gives us pause as we contemplate the tremendous challenges the world is facing and the importance of trying to take even small steps in the right direction. The 2025 World Ski Championships have put the spotlight on reducing food waste, use of plastics, and offering good systems for source separation and bottle/can deposits. We will also heighten awareness of consumption and recycling; for example, by ensuring that World Championships apparel does not contain hazardous substances and has good durability. We need to be good role models and use our position to influence sports and society to act more sustainably.

Zero transport emissions - SDG number 13, Climate action, is one of our prioritised targets. Greenhouse gas emissions must be cut on a global basis. This can be accomplished by boosting our commitment to climate-friendly infrastructure and renewable energy, as well as CO₂ capture and storage. Trondheim 2025’s objective is zero emissions from transport of accredited people from when they arrive in Norway until they travel on to their next destination. We are also committed to local food, recycling and reuse in other events. Our goal is to achieve the smallest possible environmental footprint, both before and during the Championships. This will require a clear set of rules and goals in our own house, for all aspects of sustainability, both financial, social and environmental. Walking the talk is vital for everyone in Trondheim 2025, and those we choose as our partners in cooperation. Sustainability should and must be the scarlet thread running through everything we do.