World Sailing wins IOC Climate Action Award 2023

The award recognises World Sailing’s efforts to significantly cut the environmental impact of the sport and organising events by reducing emissions from travel and transport as part of its Sustainability Agenda 2030 strategy.

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

After successful trials at the 2022 Youth World Championships, also in The Hague, World Sailing was able to significantly reduce the number of support boats as well as adopt the use of robotic racing marks, and source mains-supplied energy from renewable sources. The event also utilised 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.

In addition, World Sailing was able to compile more granular data to create a better insight which will enable future events to cut emissions further.

Alexandra Rickham, World Sailing’s Head of Sustainability, said, “We are proud and honoured to receive this award, and I would like to thank the International Olympic Committee and Airbnb for their support.

“Sailing as a sport is dependent on the environment and the coastal communities where we operate are particularly vulnerable to changes in the conditions, so it is our duty to explore innovative ways to make the sport more sustainable, provide options for athletes worldwide and lead by example.

“The measures we have devised and implemented have been very successful so far and we are always looking at new ways to extend and improve these programs to have the largest impact for the greatest number of people across the sailing world.”

Ameet Konkar, Airbnb Head of Sustainability said: “At Airbnb, we strongly believe in making travel more sustainable. This award showcases the commitment the Olympic community is making to reduce its impact and promote more conscious travel practices.” 

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

An Equipment Recycling Hub, run in partnership with the World Sailing Trust, was trialled in The Hague to allow competitors to safely deposit common but difficult to recycle sailing equipment – such as carbon fibre, glass fibre, blocks and other fittings, rope and clothing – at the 2023 Allianz Sailing World Championships. Items collected will then be showcased at METSTRADE in November to bring the issues around the recyclability of sailing equipment to the attention of the wider marine industry.