Ahead of IOC election, 350 Olympians urge to make climate action priority

Around 350 Olympians from 85 countries, including India's Saina Nehwal and PR Sreejesh, have written a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) presidential candidates, urging them to make climate action their top priority.

As IOC members gather in Costa Navarino, Greece, to vote on the seven candidates next week (March 18-21), the Olympians called for stronger commitments from the IOC to cut carbon emissions, promote sustainability in host cities, set clear guidelines on polluting sponsors and use its platform to advocate for climate action.

Climate impacts are "no longer a distant threat, but a current and growing harm to the sports we love and to the countries that make up our Olympic family", the letter said.

The signatories include 57 Olympic champions and over 100 Olympic flag bearers. They represent some of the world's most climate-vulnerable nations, including Argentina, Aruba, the Bahamas, Cabo Verde, Colombia, Cook Islands, Eswatini, Fiji, Ghana, India, Kenya, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Sierra Leone and Zambia.

Recognizing that extreme weather events are already disrupting the Summer and Winter Olympics and affecting athlete performance and safety, the letter urges decisive action to ensure the games remain accessible and safe for future generations.

Earlier this year, massive wildfires burned large areas of Los Angeles, the host city of the 2028 Olympic Games. The fires killed about 30 people, destroyed thousands of buildings, and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.

The signatories have also requested an early meeting with the incoming IOC president to discuss how the Olympic movement can strengthen its leadership in tackling the climate crisis.

Nehwal, the first Indian badminton player to win an Olympic medal, said, "As athletes, we push ourselves to be the best, but we also need to push for a better, healthier planet. The solidarity amongst athletes this letter shows is amazing and makes clear that the next IOC President must prioritize sustainability to protect the environments where we train, compete and live."  Olympic champion sailor and IOC Sustainability Ambassador Hannah Mills OBE said, "I am not sure we have ever seen so many athletes from around the world speak with one voice. The terrible LA wildfires couldn't have been clearer: the time is now to set a course for a safe, bright future. As a sailor and a mum, this hits close to home. The Olympics has held and fulfilled the dreams of so many over its history. But I cannot have any bigger dream than a future in which my children can thrive.