The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and FIS united to foster Bio Winter Sports.
- M Abti
- May 20
- 3 min read
Winter sports can seriously affect natural ecosystems, with particular reference to biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation. Olympic disciplines like skiing or snowboarding can alter wildlife life rhythms, favouring habitat loss while making endemic species more vulnerable. Professional sports event organisers and an increasing number of sportspeople are increasingly involved in the environmental cause. The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation has just announced a strategic partnership with the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), the highest institution governing both sport disciplines worldwide, to build up a targeted action plan to promote biodiversity conservation and environmental sustainability through the support of the Human-Wildlife Initiative, a cutting-edge programme to boost a pacific coexistence between human beings and wild species, in close partnership with the PACA (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur) Region and France.
On the 7th May 2025, the agreement was officially announced within the FIS Congress in Vilamoura (Portugal), anticipating the launch of a pioneering biodiversity impact study that, starting in September 2025, will focus on Alpine Skiing and Free Riding. The working group will look at some of the upcoming major snow sport competitions making them meaningful case studies to design a specific event footprint detector aimed at finding effective mitigation solutions.
Science and Sport will then collaborate with one another to make the sporting competition at the same time exciting and environmentally friendly.
Ester Borgioli, Human-Wildlife Initiative Coordinator at the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, highlighted in this regard: « The objective is to assess the impact that snow sports events have on the natural areas around them and to develop solutions to reduce the footprint without giving up energy and excitement coming from ski and snowboard ».
Susanna Sief, FIS Sustainability Director, pointed out the importance of involving athletes and their supporters in driving a change towards biodiversity conservation: « True progress in sustainability can only be achieved together, by joining forces, this is not just a slogan; we need credible, science-based partners if we want to make a difference for good. FIS and the Human-Wildlife Initiative will do that through research, but also by tapping into the incredible power of snow sports to raise awareness to the cause, by allowing athletes to raise their voice as ambassadors ».
📽️ Official Video Presenting the partnership between the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and FIS © PA2F and FIS
The synergy between the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the FIS marks an important step for future developments in winter sports in view of the incoming international meetings, notably the Olympic Winter Games 2026 in Milano & Cortina (Italy) which seems to pursue sustainability and eco-friendliness legacy. ***
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By Maurice Abbati
Journalist; Editor; Communication, Media and Public Relations Specialist
Lecturer and Author in English language of Technical Articles and the Manual: "Communicating the Environment to Save the Planet, a Journey into Eco-Communication" by Springer International Publishing.
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