Nachhaltige Großevents im Wintersport Wenn Gänsehaut-Momente klimafreundlich organisiert werden
When Goosebump Moments Are Organized in a Climate-Friendly Way
Full finish line, floodlights, flags, stadium atmosphere – major winter sports events are pure emotion. What fans rarely see: behind each of these goosebump moments lies an enormous organizational effort – involving traffic, construction, energy, catering, TV production, and thousands of people on site.
The key question is: can a World Championship be spectacular in sports while also being ecologically responsible?
Two events demonstrate impressively that it is possible: the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships Oberstdorf/Allgäu 2021 and the BMW IBU Biathlon World Championships Oberhof 2023. Both published comprehensive sustainability reports, providing a concrete blueprint for future large-scale snow events.
Oberstdorf 2021 – World Championship with a Self-Commitment
The 2021 World Championship was the first Nordic World Championship to systematically align its sustainability strategy with the UN 2030 Agenda, the Bavarian Sustainability Strategy, and the goals of the German Ski Association (DSV).
As early as 2018/19, the organizing committee defined seven guiding principles of self-commitment, including:
Clarity of facts, participation, and transparency – to build trust.
Development of modern winter sports facilities for the future.
Convincing environmental, climate, and resource protection.
“Environmentally friendly transport – the World Championships of short, barrier-free routes.”
“For a healthy and active Oberstdorf” – benefits for the local population.
“Nordic Center Oberstdorf/Allgäu for all” – barrier-free and usable year-round.
Binding implementation of measures.
Based on this, six fields of action were defined: self-commitment & management, protection of natural resources, sustainable sports development & post-event use, climate & energy, sustainable mobility, as well as volunteer work & regional value creation.
Protecting Nature Instead of Consuming It
This is particularly evident in the handling of the sensitive mountain landscape:
Nature reserves, mountain protection forests, and biotopes remain untouched.
Necessary interventions were compensated, areas were re-naturalized, and additional reforestation took place.
New or modernized facilities were designed for long-term use – as training centers, recreational areas, and event venues, not just for two weeks of the World Championship.
The result: no temporary event structures, but sustainable sports facilities with real regional benefits.
Short Distances for a Strong Region
The Championship deliberately positioned itself as a “World Championship of Short Distances” with a compact concept:
Movement between competition venues mostly on foot or via shuttle.
Strong involvement of regional businesses.
Promotion of local value creation.
The concept was so convincing that the Championship was a finalist for the IBU Sustainability Award.
Oberhof 2023 – Biathlon World Championship with a Mobility Initiative
Three years later, another milestone was set in Oberhof. The Biathlon World Championships 2023 published a comprehensive sustainability report titled “Competencies for a Sustainable Future”, developed by the Ski Sport Safety Foundation (SIS), Oberhofer Sport und Event GmbH, and DSV Verwaltungs GmbH.
The report is clearly structured into areas such as:
Development & use of existing sports facilities.
Future-proof sports venues, energy & climate protection.
Resource-efficient snow management.
Voluntary engagement.
Social issues, youth development & inclusive offerings.
Sustainable mobility concept.
Resource conservation & waste management.
Ecological compensation & mitigation measures.
The Core: The Sustainable Mobility Concept
Mobility is the largest driver of emissions – and this is exactly where Oberhof focused.
Key elements included:
Public transport included: The World Championship ticket allowed free use of local public transport within a 50 km radius (including Erfurt, Bad Neustadt, Wernshausen).
Shuttles from the train station: The nearest station (Zella-Mehlis) is about 10 km away, so free shuttle buses ran until 10:30 PM between the station, P+R parking lots, and sports venues.
Over 11,000 P+R spaces in the region reduced individual car traffic in Oberhof; no parking was offered in town.
Accredited staff had access to low-emission, including electric, vehicles. About 25 minibuses were also used for efficient transport.
Central bus stops for fan travel: 40–50 fan buses per day helped reduce CO₂ emissions.
In short: Oberhof turned a potential traffic problem into a comfortable mobility product – both climate-friendly and fan-friendly.
More Than Just Transport: Energy, Snow, and Social Engagement
The report also details how the Championship handled other key sustainability topics:
Existing sports facilities were modernized instead of newly built – following the principle “renovate before building new.”
Sports facilities, energy & climate protection: optimizing energy efficiency, using green electricity, modern lighting.
Resource-efficient snow management: targeted snowmaking, adapted track routing, avoiding overproduction.
Social & inclusion: programs for youth, schools, people with disabilities, and voluntary structures in the region.
The project won recognition in the sustainability category at the SPOBIS Award 2023.
What Really Makes These Events “Sustainable”?
Oberstdorf 2021 and Oberhof 2023 differ in sport, topography, and structure. But they share key principles that other organizers can learn from:
Renovate before building new:
Evaluate existing facilities for adaptation.
Build new only where long-term, versatile use is guaranteed.
Plan ahead: “What happens to this facility after the event?”
Nature as a partner, not a backdrop:
Oberstdorf kept nature reserves, mountain forests, and biotopes free of interventions; necessary impacts were compensated.
Oberhof implemented ecological compensation measures around sports venues.
Mobility as the greatest lever:
Travel to and from events is the emission hotspot.
Oberstdorf: “World Championship of Short Distances” – mostly on foot, regional public transport, compact venues.
Oberhof: ticket doubles as public transport pass, extensive P+R, limiting car traffic in town.
Strategic energy & climate planning:
Measures are embedded in DSV 2030 sustainability strategy, German/Bavarian sustainability strategies, and UN SDGs.
Biathlon context: IBU is a member of UN Sports for Climate Action and Race to Zero, awarded the Dow Carbon Action Award.
Sustainability is part of sports policy, not a side project.
Social impact, volunteering & youth development:
Volunteer structures are trained and strengthened.
Programs for children, youth, and schools promote activity, connection to nature, and sustainability awareness (e.g., ticket2nature).
The legacy goes beyond stands: skills, networks, and mindsets remain.
Lessons for Other Events
Plan a real sustainability report:
Include KPIs, measures, and goals from the start, not just a few pages at the end.
Define at least three focus areas:
Mobility
Energy & snow
Nature & post-event use
Then communicate these visibly.
Involve fans and teams:
Sustainable travel options, reusable concepts, education, CO₂ transparency – only works if everyone participates. Oberhof shows how ticket + public transport + shuttle can become a seamless package.
Big Events – Big Responsibility, Big Opportunity
Oberstdorf 2021 and Oberhof 2023 show that major winter sports events can be sustainability beacons – not despite their size, but because of it.
They demonstrate that:
Nature can be protected while hosting top-level sport.
Mobility can be organized cleverly instead of harming the climate.
Energy, snow, and infrastructure serve the region long-term.
Professional winter sports send a strong signal for climate protection.
For fans, this means:
You can cheer, celebrate, and get goosebumps – knowing that behind the scenes, everything is being done to ensure the winter we love has a future.
Sources
Nachhaltigkeitsbericht FIS Nordische Ski-WM Oberstdorf 2021
Nachhaltigkeitsreport Nordische Ski-WM 2021 (Oberstdorf)
Workshops Sustainability – IBU / Climate Action
Nachhaltigkeitsbericht Biathlon-WM Oberhof 2023
SPOBIS Award – Nachhaltigkeitsmanagement Oberhof 2023
Stiftung Sicherheit im Skisport (SIS) – Forschung & Entwicklung