World Sailing receives IOC Climate Action Award 2023 at ceremony in Lausanne

Winning the award for Climate Action x Sustainable Travel, supported by Airbnb, World Sailing has successfully reduced its carbon footprint and the environmental impact of the sport by prioritising low- and zero-emission forms of transport for staff, while also introducing support boats powered by renewable sources. 

World Sailing President Quanhai Li said, “Thank you to President Thomas Bach, The International Olympic Committee and Airbnb for this Climate Action Award for sustainable travel. Sustainability is at heart of everything we do at World Sailing, and I am proud to accept this award on behalf of the federation and our global community of sailors.” 

Alexandra Rickham, World Sailing’s Head of Sustainability, said, “We are delighted to receive this award and demonstrate the possibilities within sailing and all sports to reduce the overall impact of organising and running events. Thank you to the International Olympic Committee and Airbnb for their support. We hope that the positive results we have achieved can inspire further change and help to make a long-term impact throughout the international sporting community. 

“Early success through the trial and first implementation serve as a baseline for further innovation and the development of new technologies across the sailing world and beyond.” 

After successful trials at the 2022 Youth World Championships, in The Hague, World Sailing was able to significantly reduce the number of support boats and adopted the use of robotic racing marks, as well as sourcing mains-supplied energy from renewable sources and HVO for temporary power needs. Robotic race marks not only reduce the need for support boats but, in replacing anchored marks, avoid damaging the rich biodiversity of seabeds. 

At the 2023 Allianz Sailing World Championships, also in The Hague, World Sailing arranged UK-based staff to travel to the event by train. During the championships, World Sailing also encouraged active travel by providing every member of staff, official and member of the media with a bicycle to get around the host city. 

World Sailing’s Sustainability Agenda 2030 strategy examines the environmental impact of the sport and outlines steps to significantly cut the impact of organising events in all areas, including reducing emissions from travel and transport.

An Equipment Recycling Hub, run in partnership with the World Sailing Trust, was also trialled at the 2023 Allianz Sailing World Championships in The Hague to allow competitors to responsibly dispose of common but difficult to recycle sailing equipment – such as carbon fibre, glass fibre, blocks and other fittings, rope and clothing.  

World Sailing is currently working with the Paris 2024 Organising Committee to implement these initiatives for the Olympic sailing competition in Marseille, while also working with equipment manufacturers to address the worldwide impact of the sport with the aim of increasing recyclability and understand the life cycle of all current Olympic classes.