Tracking Change: How the IBU Is Winning the Sustainability Race

In winter sports, talk about sustainability is common, but action is less so. Nonetheless, the International Biathlon Union (IBU) is one example of an organisation that is truly committed to delivering on pledged change.

As the impacts of climate change intensify (shorter seasons, extreme weather, flooding at competition venues), winter sports face an existential threat. Yet, whilst many organisations are still addressing the problem, the IBU has spent the past five years building solutions. The industry pioneers have launched one of the sector’s first comprehensive sustainability strategies, aiming to cut emissions by 50% and reach complete climate neutrality by 2030. Along the way, it has created real momentum: from driving industry collaboration through the Winter Sports Sustainability Network, reducing snow usage with the IBU Snow Network and engaging fans directly in climate action.

We spoke with Riikka Rakic, IBU’s Head of Strategy, Sustainability and Governance and learnt more about their accomplishments and future plans.

Rakic is candid about the challenge, “I sometimes feel like I’m giving CPR to a dying patient,” she admits. Yet, the IBU’s record - including recognition at the 2024 IOC Climate Action Awards - proves that leadership is possible even in a difficult landscape. As the effects of global warming accelerate, the IBU’s approach stands out as a model for how winter sports can not only survive, but thrive.

When Riikka began creating the IBU’s first complete emissions inventory, there were few established roadmaps to follow. “One of the first things that we did was try to measure our corporate footprint,” she explained. At the time, the idea of carbon accounting within sports organisations was still niche - and getting actionable data was nearly impossible. “I started approaching the industry like, can you provide me more information? What is the carbon footprint of your pair of skis?”, she recalled “but they didn't have the answers when I started this discussion.”

Facing this lack of available supplier data from multiple stakeholders across the value chain is an issue that still plagues businesses across the globe today, including, but not exclusive to, winter sports businesses. However, the route taken by the IBU exemplifies why approaching sustainability as a continuous journey rather than the pursuit of a specific result is vital in making progress.

This ultimately laid the foundation for one of the most comprehensive sustainability programs to date within winter sports, as detailed below.

In order to achieve their targets of carbon neutrality by the turn of the decade, it was decided that their initiatives would focus on five key areas: Climate, Sport, People, Venue & Event and Communication & Awareness.

One of the flagship programs is the IBU Snow Network. As we have previously discussed, managing snow production at events is of huge importance both for economic viability and environmental responsibility. Through mass knowledge-sharing across host venues, the Snow Network has been integral in reducing the need for artificial snow. On average, participating venues has managed to diminish their snow production by c.2,600 cubic metres per season - a more than impressive feat.

Alongside this direct environmental action, the IBU consistently equips Organising Committees with practical tools that allow for easier tracking of their environmental impacts. By 2024, 64% of event OC’s had implemented a written sustainability plan and 79% had adopted more sustainable waste management practices. These clever carbon management tools also help organisers to set reduction targets and plan accordingly, embedding sustainability into the operational backbone of winter sports.

One aspect of winter sports that has been historically overlooked is the use of harmful chemicals in gear and clothing. Recognising the risk of these persistent pollutants, the federation became one of the first major international sports bodies that have banned fluorinated waxes from all competition, aligning with the EU chem-safe regulations.

Importantly, the IBU’s efforts are not limited to internal operations. The organisation has actively sought to engage the biathlon community and its fanbase through initiatives such as the Biathlon Climate Challenge. The campaign encourages fans world-wide to log their eco-friendly activities, from hopping on their bikes instead of cars, to the planting of trees. The tangible impact is visible from the 50,000 new trees that now contribute directly to reforestation and more natural carbon sequestration efforts across the globe.

Recognition of these fantastic achievements came in 2024 at the IOC Climate Action Awards, when the IBU was awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ distinction, strongly affirming the federation’s reputation as a pioneer in sustainable sport management.

Yet, as Riikka reminds us, the road ahead remains steep. “It’s not easy,” she admits, pointing to persistent challenges such as supplier engagement, shifting weather patterns and geopolitical instability. However, despite the obstacles, the IBU’s proactive, evidence-based approach offers a rare example of how even the complex nature of international sport can be transformed not through rhetoric, but through measurable, accountable action.

Evidently, driving systemic change required more than internal action and therefore, shifting the behaviour of suppliers and manufacturers became a necessity. From the outset, the IBU realised that waiting for the market to change was not an option; instead, they decided to become the driver of change.

“I wish it was our partners, suppliers and stakeholders that would tell us to be more sustainable," she continues, "but it's the other way around and we have been pushing the agenda.”

Rather than accepting the status quo, the IBU intensified its efforts and created industry-wide momentum. One major breakthrough came with the founding of the ‘Winter Sports Sustainability Network’(WSN), a collaboration between the IBU, FASE and PEAK63, a consultancy based in Östersund, Sweden. The network quickly became a critical forum for equipment manufacturers, event organisers and other stakeholders to share knowledge, set standards and to begin the measurement of product life cycles with their environmental impacts.

By establishing a shared platform for dialogue and action, the IBU helped normalise sustainability as a core business consideration for all suppliers. Ski, boot and pole manufacturers, once disengaged, are now beginning to map their carbon footprints and explore ways to reduce emissions throughout their supply chains. Life cycle assessments, previously rare in the winter sports industry, are becoming an expected part of product development conversations.

This shift illustrates one of the key lessons of the IBU’s approach: that leadership sometimes means creating demand for sustainability before it exists organically. Through persistence, partnership-building and setting clear expectations, the IBU has catalysed a culture change in winter sports manufacturing - one that could have ripple effects far beyond biathlon itself.

Rakic remains unsentimental about the road ahead. “Climate change is not waiting,” she warns. The effects of global warming are already tangible for winter sports organisers. Rising temperatures have led to unpredictable weather conditions, forcing event venues to invest heavily in adaptation measures such as enhanced water drainage systems, snow storage and emergency weather response capabilities. Sudden rainfalls lasting for 24 hours straight (once rare) are now becoming familiar challenges for competitions traditionally reliant on predictable winter conditions.

The IBU’s forward-looking strategy acknowledges that the future of winter sports will not only depend on reducing emissions, but also on building resilience against the inevitable impacts of a warming planet.

At a time when the window for meaningful climate action is rapidly closing, the IBU stands as a rare example of what is possible when a sports federation moves beyond rhetoric and commits to measurable, science-based change.