World Archery among 20 organisations to receive climate award

World Archery was among some 20 major sports organisations to be presented with a Carbon Action Award from the International Olympic Committee to mark Earth Day today.

The certificate recognises efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The 12 international federations, seven National Olympic Committees and the Association of National Olympic Committees won the awards on the basis of detailed data and carbon reduction plans.

All of the awarded organisations are signatories of the United Nations’ Sports for Climate Action Framework, which supports sports entities to achieve a range of global climate-change goals, including a 50 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 at the latest, in line with the Paris Agreement.

By December 2021, almost 300 sports organisations globally had signed the framework.

Launched in 2019, the International Olympic Committee’s Carbon Action Awards – which originally formed part of the IOC-DOW Carbon Partnership – were created to inspire climate action by recognising the sustainability efforts of key sports organisations within the Olympic movement.

As part of the initiative, those that have demonstrably reduced their greenhouse gas emissions within the scope of their organisations and respective events are rewarded carbon offsets to compensate their remaining emissions.

From 2030, the International Olympic Committee will also require all Olympic Games to be climate positive by minimising and compensating their direct and indirect carbon emissions; and implementing lasting zero-carbon solutions for the Olympic Games and beyond. 

Paris 2024 has committed to become the first Games with a positive contribution to the climate, even before the 2030 deadline.

World Archery joined the United Nation’s Sports for Climate Action Initiative and signed the Climate Neutral Now pledge in September 2020, committing to becoming a carbon-neutral organisation by 2050 as part of its sustainability programme.

Photo courtesy the International Olympic Committee.