Saslong Classic Wins FIS Climate Award After Cutting Event Emissions

The Saslong Classic Club has been recognized as the best local organizing committee in the 2025/26 FIS Climate Awards after recording a substantial reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions from its World Cup event in Val Gardena, Italy.

At a ceremony in Geneva, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation awarded Val Gardena the Best Local Organizing Committee medal. The organizer reported that its total calculated emissions fell from 313 to 246 tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent compared with the previous year. FIS reported the reduction as 21.6 percent, while the original Italian report described it as 21.4 percent. Emissions per spectator dropped by 39.1 percent.

The result placed Val Gardena ahead of the other two finalists, Crans-Montana in Switzerland and Ljubno in Slovenia. Crans-Montana is scheduled to host the 2031 Alpine World Ski Championships, while Ljubno is an established venue on the women’s ski-jumping circuit.

For the Saslong Classic Club, the award represents recognition not only of a lower emissions figure, but also of the systems used to measure it. The organizer has used the FIS CO₂ Calculator for two seasons, gathering information before, during and after race week from its own departments and from supplier invoices.

That process is intended to show which operational decisions have the greatest effect on the event’s emissions balance. The data has also allowed the organization to quantify the impact of specific measures, including electric shuttle vehicles and the use of HVO renewable diesel.

Turning measurement into action

FIS introduced its climate awards to recognize organizers and athletes that move beyond broad sustainability commitments and produce measurable results. The federation’s evaluation criteria include data quality, transparency, the extent to which the calculator is used, the way findings influence decision-making, evidence of emissions reductions and engagement with the wider sporting community.

“The fact that the five awards assigned today went to five different countries” demonstrates that climate action is developing across the sport, FIS Sustainability Director Susanna Sieff said at the ceremony. She added that reducing the carbon footprint of snow sports requires organizations to measure emissions, identify practical reductions and follow through consistently.

FIS President Alexander Ospelt described sustainability as a collective responsibility, reflecting the federation’s broader effort to involve national associations, local organizers and athletes in climate-related initiatives. The 2025/26 awards included categories for local organizing committees, national ski associations and individual athletes.

The award comes as FIS faces growing pressure to address the environmental realities affecting winter sport. In a partnership announced with the World Meteorological Organization, FIS acknowledged that rising temperatures, declining snow cover, retreating glaciers and changing precipitation patterns threaten ski racing and mountain tourism. During the 2023/24 season, 26 of the federation’s 616 World Cup races were canceled for weather-related reasons.

Local measures with wider significance

The Saslong Classic Club has been developing sustainability projects for several years. Previous initiatives included using HVO diesel for generators, snow groomers and the exclusive SasLounge area; installing electric-vehicle charging stations near the finish area; recycling old course banners; involving local school students; and donating unused packaged food to a retirement home in Ortisei.

HVO, or hydrotreated vegetable oil, is presented by the organizer as a fossil-free alternative to conventional diesel. The Saslong Classic Club has said its use can reduce emissions from relevant equipment by up to 90 percent compared with traditional diesel, although the actual benefit depends on the fuel’s source, production process and application.

These measures do not eliminate the environmental impact of a major ski race. A World Cup event requires transport, energy, snow preparation, hospitality, temporary infrastructure and the movement of athletes, staff, media and spectators. The value of the FIS calculator is therefore that it provides organizers with a way to identify the largest sources of emissions rather than treating sustainability as a collection of isolated projects.

The club said the latest assessment also highlighted areas where data remains incomplete. That information will be used to improve future reporting and determine where additional reductions are possible.

A model for the 2026 Saslong Classic

The Saslong Classic is preparing to host its 59th FIS Alpine Ski World Cup edition on December 18 and 19, 2026. The program will include a men’s super-G on Friday and the traditional downhill on Saturday.

The event’s sustainability work is taking place alongside preparations for Val Gardena’s longer-term ambitions. The Saslong Classic Club has identified the 2031 Alpine World Championships as an important reason to build more responsible operational practices across the organization.

The challenge will be to show that the reduction can be repeated and expanded. A single year-on-year improvement is encouraging, but consistent measurement over several seasons will be needed to determine whether the changes represent a lasting shift in how the race is delivered.

That is also the broader significance of the FIS award. The Saslong Classic has not been recognized because a ski race can operate without emissions. It has been recognized for establishing a measurable baseline, reducing its reported impact and identifying the decisions that can produce further progress.

As the winter-sports calendar confronts warmer conditions and increasing scrutiny of its environmental footprint, Val Gardena’s experience offers a practical example of how a traditional World Cup venue can begin to connect sporting performance with operational accountability.