The EOC EU Office, coordinator of the OCEAN Project, proudly announces a significant milestone: the 18 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) involved in the project have measured their carbon footprint for the baseline year 2022 and committed to reducing their impact on climate change. Supported by the Öko-Institut, this marks the first step in a collective effort to tackle the challenges of climate change within sports.
The comparative analysis of the NOCs’ footprint, available here, highlights the primary sources of emission for the 18 NOCs, from transport, event organisation or energy consumption to procurement or commuting.
This process is more than a measurement, it is a commitment to action. Each NOC is now working toward adopting a carbon footprint reduction strategy by April 2025, aligned with the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework (S4CA), supported by the International Olympic Committee. The process has included specialised training for the ‘Climate Action Officers’ of each NOC on climate change; measures to reduce the impact of transport or procurement; or communication about sustainability.
As the OCEAN project enters its final phase, project partners want to ensure that the knowledge extends beyond NOCs and organise regular workshops and presentations in local sport organisations, but also schools and communities across Europe. To empower all sport organisations, the OCEAN Project is developing free tools and resources designed with and tested by the 18 NOCs. These include:
- Pool of Actions for carbon footprint reduction (Available Now), a collection of 100+ measures and examples of good practices to implement for carbon reduction.
- Guide for Climate Action Officers (from January 2025), a practical step-by-step guide for sport organisations to go through the carbon footprint reduction process.
- Carbon Footprint Reduction Strategies (from April 2025) of 18 NOCs, as inspiration to guide others.
- OCEAN Carbon Footprint Measurement Tool (from January 2025): an online tool, available for free, in English, Spanish and French, for all sport organisations to measure their carbon footprint. The Tool was designed by the Öko-Institut with the 18 NOCs and therefore fit the scope of activities of sport organisations.
These resources will be freely available through the OCEAN Toolbox platform, making it easier for sport organisations to measure, reduce, and act on their carbon footprints.
The results and upcoming tools were presented during the webinar “Reducing Sport Organisations’ Carbon Footprint: Understanding Our Starting Point and Getting Ready for Climate Action” on 26 November. The OCEAN Project invites all sport organisations to join the movement, access the resources, and become agents of change.
