THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF THE 2023 FIS ALPINE SKI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN COURCHEVEL-MERIBEL

With 12 days of competitions, 600 athletes from 75 countries and 150,000 spectators, the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships are certainly a high-impact event. As a result, as soon as the bid had been submitted, the organising committee signed a charter of 15 eco-friendly commitments drawn up by the French Ministry of Sports and the WWF.

To push things even further, a CSR policy was put in place, based around nine strategic objectives and four major themes: protecting ecosystems, ecoresponsibility, public inclusion, and raising awareness. The aim was to transform the temporary into the permanent and leave a legacy for future generations.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: to confirm its commitments, the 2023 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships is the first winter sports event to be granted ISO 20121 certification, the only standard for responsible management systems applied to the events sector.

MOBILITY: To move 3,000-5,000 people a day using public transport, 90 vehicles in the RATP Dev fleet, 17 of which run on bioNGV fuel, provided regional, local and inter-site connections.

RESTAURANTS & CATERING: Recycling of 80% of waste, with priority given to eco-responsible packaging.

ELECTRICITY: Connecting to the electricity grid to avoid using generators. 100% of needs covered, excluding TV production. 100% of artificial snow also produced using renewable electricity.

AWARENESS & INCLUSION: 6,000 young people were made aware of global warming and protecting the mountains. Some 25% of the public enjoyed reduced or free rates. In order to favour local people and resort customers, six free “fan zones” were accessible on skis along the slopes to watch the events.

CARBON FOOTPRINT: an objective for a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the carbon footprint of the World Cup finals held in 2022 at the same venues. In real terms, this means going from 192kg of CO2 emissions per spectator to 100kg.

MOUNTAIN INNOVATIONS: CURRENT AND UPCOMING INNOVATIONS

Par Cécile Ronjat et Marie-France Sarrazin