Winter sports ‘nailing the lid on its own coffin’, says British athlete

Vasaloppet is the world’s biggest cross-country ski race, with almost 100,000 participants each year, and more than 50 British nationals are taking part in 2023.

Volvo and Preem, Sweden’s largest oil firm, have been two of the main sponsors since 2015 and 2009, respectively.

The presence of high-carbon companies in snowsport has been criticised by Lizzy Yarnold, Britain’s most successful Winter Olympian, who said: “At their best, winter sports are a celebration of people enjoying some of the most awesome landscapes on Earth.

“But the impact of climate pollution is now melting the snow and ice which these sports depend on.

“Having high carbon sponsors is like winter sport nailing the lid on its own coffin, and it needs to stop.”

Her comments come as a new report, The Snow Thieves, identified 107 high-carbon sponsors of winter sports, including British Airways, a sponsor of Great Britain’s alpine team.

Published in conjunction with the New Weather Institute, Possible and the Rapid Transition Alliance, the report said fossil fuel companies should be banned from sponsoring snow sports.

Andrew Simms, one of the authors, said having fossil fuel companies sponsoring winter sports is “like being sponsored by a burglar who keeps stealing from your home”.

Vasaloppet’s sponsor manager Eva Horwing said: “From a Vasaloppet perspective, we choose partners who can help us produce our events as sustainable as possible.

“These two partners have helped us over the past 10 years to significantly decrease our carbon footprint. For example, by using biofuel in machines as well as introducing electrified cars, buses and lorries.

“We know we have a ways to go. But we continuously work to lower our carbon footprint and produce more sustainable events.”

Anna Turney, British alpine skier and Paralympian, said: “The cold feeling of fear and uncertainty as I lay in hospital being told I’ll never walk again, was something I thought I had left behind. But that fear is back, as I am confronted with climate change at a terrifying rate.

“I want to feel proud of my sport, of winter sports. I want others to experience the joys and the challenges of snow sports. I also want a healthy planet for everyone.

“So it’s time for the sports governing bodies to broaden their perspectives and find the courage to behave more like the athletes they supposedly support.”

A spokesperson for Preem said the company is phasing out fossil fuels and aims to complete its sustainable transition before 2035.

They added: “From a climate point of view, we know that Preem is a part of the problem, but also a part of the solution.

“Preem has taken a stand and has adopted the industry’s most ambitious climate goal in line with the Paris Agreement.”

Volvo declined to comment.

Dr Madeleine Orr, of Loughborough University – who last year published a study on how climate change is affecting the Winter Olympics in Beijing – said Volvo and Preem’s sponsorship was “absolutely greenwashing” and “deeply disappointing”.

She said a lot of resorts worldwide now rely on artificial snow, which uses energy and water as well as chemicals to harden it – and some athletes believe this makes it more dangerous to compete on.

Met Office data has shown a general decline in the number of snow days in Scotland since the 1960s, though Andy Meldrum – managing director of the Glencoe Mountain Resort – said he has “no concerns about the future of the industry in Scotland”.

He said more wind, improved fencing and more plant piste machines mean their season is longer than ever before.

In early January, some ski resorts in the Alps were left completely without snow after recording temperatures more closely associated with a cool summer.

Dr Orr said: “There have been several studies that have demonstrated a consistent and accelerating decline in snow cover across the United Kingdom, more pronounced in some areas than others.

“Typically that depends on things like altitude, how close to the coast you are, etc.

“In Scotland, all of the resorts do rely on snowmaking already. This is why they’ll say they’re not experiencing problems.

“The UK is lucky in the sense that it has access to water in a way that the Alps and the Rockies don’t. And so Scotland should be able to produce relatively consistent snow seasons.

“That much is true, but it’s not true to say that climate change is not impacting it and it’s not true to say that they’re not going to experience a difference in snowfall. They’re just going to fix it with snowmaking.”