ISU

• The ISU President is dedicated to ensuring sustainability is integrated across ISU’s activities making it part of the ISU Vision 2030 document.  

• The President and all ISU Council members committed to Sustainability as a core priority of ISU when signing the ISU Sustainability Commitment in October 2023. 

• The ISU Council approved the ISU Sustainability Strategy in October 2023 and will provide regular oversight on the implementation of the Strategy.

• In 2017, the “Sustainability and Social Responsibility Working Group“ was created that was divided in 2022 into two dedicated Working Groups, the “ISU Good Governance and Social Responsibility Working Group” and the “ISU Environmental Sustainability Working Group”. Both are composed of ISU Council Members and ISU employees.
• The Working Groups formulate action plans linked with the various topics within their mandates. They are supported by staff members throughout the various departments of ISU including events, communications, the internal controller, safeguarding etc.
• Senior management, guided by specialist support from sustainability experts, have been central to the development of the ISU Sustainability Strategy and will be fundamental in its implementation.
• An internal accountability system and adequate resources will be dedicated to achieving the targets outlined in the ISU Sustainability Strategy with continued engagement of ongoing specialist support.

In early 2023, ISU became a signatory of the Sports for Nature Framework, that focuses on:

• Principle 1. Protect nature and avoid damage to natural habitats and species. ...
• Principle 2. Restore and regenerate nature wherever possible. ...
• Principle 3. Understand and reduce risks to nature in your supply chains. ...
• Principle 4. Educate and inspire positive action for nature across and beyond sport.

The ISU became a signatory the UNFCC Sports for Climate Action Framework in 2020 prior to deciding to rather undertake a comprehensive baseline carbon footprint analysis, define a sustainability strategy and to make veritable reduction targets aligned with global commitments.

2021 IOC /DOW Carbon initiative award.

Continued self-evaluation including the ‘Review of Governance of the Association of International Olympic Winter Federations (AIOWF) Members’, see the fourth report of December 2022 available here.  

Skating is dependent on ice and outdoor skating on natural ice is severely jeopardized by rising temperatures due to climate warming. Indoor ice arenas are subject to increasing oversight and questions with regards to their place within a community due to their high energy consumption. However, as an Olympic sport with millions of fans globally, the opportunities for skating to engage and raise awareness about sustainability is phenomenal.  

The ISU commits to minimize the risks and negative impacts of its events for any host community through a focus in its strategy on sustainable event management, including climate change, energy, water, waste, transport, local stakeholder and community engagement, supply chain management, environmental health and safety, athlete safeguarding etc. Assessments will be made of the likelihood of occurrence and magnitude of each sustainability issue, with the aim of understanding, preparing for, addressing and mitigating any sustainability risks through the implementation of effective preventive and reactive measures.  

From July (2018) to June (2019) 

ISU’s baseline carbon footprint has been estimated using the GHG protocol, based on the Season 2018/2019. A comprehensive inventory was made of S2018/2019 (pre-Covid) that included Scope 1, 2 and 3 Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) of:  

• ISU Secretariat office 
• Flights and ground travel of ISU Secretariat, Officials and Athletes  
• Ice rinks used for 42 ISU competitions during the July 2018-June 2019 Season (est. 8 days of use/event) 
• Event accommodation, food and beverage of 42 ISU competitions 
• Waste, goodies and branding (souvenirs, signage, decoration, consumables) 

The Emission standards used in the calculation of the footprint were the GHG Protocol using publically available calculators, namely:  

• https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx 
• https://co2.myclimate.org/en/event_calculators/new. 

No major areas were excluded in the baseline carbon footprint calculated for the season 2018-2019. The ISU tried its utmost to extrapolate all emissions generated by its activities in its measurement reporting, including those of spectators to its events (i.e. Scope 3).

The ISU commits to continually providing more precise evaluation and granularity with regards to its carbon footprint as it obtains enhanced data from its event organizers.

Yes, by The SHIFT, sustainability consultants. 

ISU commits to maximizing its Carbon Reduction efforts, particularly in areas with the greatest carbon footprint, notably emissions related to Flights and Ice Rinks.

• ISU prioritises Reduction of emissions and Insetting prior to
• ISU commits to supporting Insetting through investment in the reduction of GHG emissions outside of ISU’s own operations, but inside ISU’s value chain such as ice rinks, skating equipment etc.
• In order to offset and compensate for unavoidable emissions that occur as a result of their activities, ISU will invest in initiatives that:
  • lead to a reduction in GHG emissions such as renewable energy,
  • or an increase in carbon storage through nature based solutions such as forest regeneration.

ISU will seek to become climate positive by 2040^[1] whereby ISU will go beyond balancing GHG emissions by investing in reduction and carbon sequestration projects with the aim of drawing down more GHG than it emits.

^[1]  UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action Framework signatories aim to halve emissions by 2030 and be net zero by 2040. The Swiss Federal Act on Climate Protection Targets, Innovation and Strengthening Energy Security aims for Switzerland to become climate neutral by 2050. ISU is headquartered in Switzerland.