The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) have announced a new partnership aimed at raising awareness about the climate crisis‘ harmful effects on winter sports and tourism.
The news of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) follows the cancellation of 26 of 616 FIS-organised World Cup races in 2023/24 for weather-related reasons.
In a joint statement this week, the two organisations said that winter sports and tourism face a “bleak future” as a result of climate change.
Indeed, in 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) warned that, due to climate change, only 10 countries will be able to host snow sports by 2040.
However, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said that ruined winter vacations and cancelled sports fixtures are just the “tip of the iceberg.”
“Retreating glaciers, reduced snow and ice cover and thawing permafrost are having a major impact on mountain ecosystems, communities and economies and will have increasingly serious repercussions at local, national and global level for centuries to come,” said Saulo.
The partnership, which seeks to underline the extensive impacts of rising temperatures, and establish practical initiatives to strengthen scientific and sporting dialogue, will initially last for five years.
“The climate crisis is obviously far bigger than FIS − or sports, for that matter: it is a genuine crossroads for mankind. It is true, though, that climate change is, simply put, an existential threat to skiing and snowboarding. We would be remiss if we did not pursue every possible effort that is rooted in science and objective analysis. This is what we are trying to follow and what is at the core of this promising partnership with the WMO,” said FIS President Johan Eliasch.