Olympic athletes call for IOC to end fossil fuel sponsorships

February 9, 2026

Dear Madam President, the IOC Executive Board and IOC Members,

The biggest threat to the Olympic dream is fossil fuels. As athletes, we are asking you to help remove their influence.

For over a century, the Olympics have represented the ultimate dream for athletes: inspiring not only those who compete today, but also the next generation who dare to believe that one day their own Olympic dream could become reality. But right now, that dream is dissolving as a result of climate change. By 2050, only a handful of the classic Winter Olympic venues will remain viable hosts, and many of the slopes we train and compete on are vanishing ⁽¹⁾. As signatories, we cannot stand by. We respectfully ask for you to establish a ban on fossil fuel companies sponsoring the Olympic Games.

The scientific consensus identifying the cause of these impacts and the means of safeguarding sport’s future is unequivocal: we must reach net-zero emissions by 2050 ⁽²⁾⁽³⁾. Yet, we currently face a huge production gap between that target and plans for fossil fuel production. According to the UNEP Emission Gap Report, governments and corporations are planning a fossil fuel output for 2030 that is 120% higher than what safe limits allow ⁽⁴⁾.

This gap - between what science says is safe, and the trajectory human emissions are on - is heavily influenced by a fossil fuel sector that seeks to continue business as usual and prolong profits. Fossil fuels are the largest contributor to climate change, accounting for nearly 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions ⁽²⁾, and these companies use the prestige of sports sponsorship to distract attention from the climate harm they are causing ⁽⁵⁾.

We welcome that the IOC has committed to ensuring that the Olympic Games lead on sustainability and serve as a catalyst for long-term sustainable development ⁽⁷⁾. However, accepting that the organizers of the Games may establish partnerships with fossil fuel companies directly undermines these principles. As our winters melt, summer athletes are simultaneously being pushed to their physical limits by record-breaking heatwaves that gamble with athlete health. We believe it is a contradiction to celebrate human achievement while being funded by the industry that threatens the fundamental conditions, from reliable snow to safe temperatures, upon which all Olympic sports depend.

The Olympic movement has faced such a moral crossroads before. In 1988, the Calgary Winter Games became the first 'smoke-free' Olympics, leading to a permanent ban on tobacco sponsorship. At that time, the IOC took a bold stand for public health. Today, climate science requires a similar act of leadership. Just as tobacco was deemed incompatible with the physical health of athletes, fossil fuels are fundamentally incompatible with the survival of our sports.

In writing this letter, we add our voices to those of the 450 Olympians from over 90 countries who last March asked that President Coventry make care of our planet be the IOC’s absolute priority, including by setting a standard regarding high polluting sponsorships ⁽⁸⁾. Given the acute threat to our sports and communities, there is no time to lose.

To protect the future of the Olympic Winter Games and align the Olympic movement with climate science, we respectfully request that the IOC:

1. Establishes a formal dialogue with athlete representatives

Inviting a delegation of the undersigned athletes to present their position to the IOC Sustainability and Legacy Commission and the IOC Executive Board.

2. Grounds this dialogue in science and athlete experience

Ensuring that decisions are guided by independent climate science and by the lived experience of winter sport athletes, in line with the IOC’s stated climate commitments.

3. Adopts a clear sponsor eligibility policy excluding fossil fuel companies

Developing and formally adopting an IOC policy that defines fossil fuel companies as ineligible for Olympic sponsorships, comparable to the existing ban on tobacco sponsorship

4. Integrates this policy into IOC’s strategic framework

Embedding this position explicitly within the IOC’s Fit for the Future framework, ensuring consistent application across future Olympic Games.

We have written the above in the hope that future generations have the same chance that we have enjoyed, to dream one day of becoming Olympians.

Sincerely,
88 Olympians and 53 athletes who dream of one day becoming an Olympian