Anna Turney: Why I’ve joined the Fossil Free Declaration
Anna Turney has carved out a place as one of Britain’s most accomplished Paralympic skiers. Competing across three Winter Games, she raced in the speed and technical events of alpine skiing, earning top-10 finishes against the very best in the world. Her commitment and resilience on the slopes have made her a role model well beyond sport.
Today, Anna is equally dedicated to protecting the natural world. She speaks out on the climate crisis and the urgent need to safeguard mountain environments, lending her voice to campaigns that call for systemic change.
Anna Turney sat down with Cool Down to discuss why she has joined the Fossil Free Declaration.
As an ex-alpine skier, the sport you competed in couldn’t be more at risk from the climate crisis. What sort of changes have you noticed already?
Although I retired from ski racing in 2014, I still have experienced the impacts of climate breakdown first-hand. Ski seasons are getting shorter, snow is less predictable, and when it does fall it is often worse quality. Some of the higher resorts will be okay, but the rest will suffer, having to either rely on costly and polluting artificial snow or face extinction.
Do you think winter sports as a whole is doing enough to address the threat of climate breakdown?
No. Winter sports could be doing so much more to secure its future. In fact, it continues to undermine the very conditions needed for these sports to be enjoyed, both now and in the future. This is most obvious in winter sports' continued celebration of high-carbon companies through sponsorship and commercial partnerships.
It's staggering and perhaps even a tad depressing to reflect on how little the world of sport has progressed. It keeps making the same mistakes. Tobacco sponsorship of sport was everywhere in the 1990s, despite the clear and obvious dangers it posed to sport and all those that enjoy it. Here we are, in 2025, with global temperatures rising, millions at risk of starvation and mass migration and the future of sport under threat. Hugely powerful and wealthy high-carbon companies continue to capitalise on culture and sport, with sports organisations simply turning a blind eye.
What does the Fossil Free Declaration mean to you personally, and why did you decide to be part of it?
Something has to change. I’m so sick of seeing these companies, who are powerful obstacles to progress, all over the sports that I love. Many of the sports teams are being duped, misled over green promises that will never come true and the allure of stable and consistent funding, which is a rarity in many winter sports. This can’t go on. And I hope the Fossil Free Declaration will be an important catalyst for this change.
Some argue that cutting high-carbon sponsorship could mean losing vital funding for athletes and events - especially in Paralympic sports. How do you respond to that concern?
It is true that Paralympic sports need more funding than able bodied sports due to the additional costs involved. But this only emphasises the need to grow Paralympic sport from the grassroots up. In recent years the popularity of Paralympic and adaptive sport has grown enormously and the opportunities from broadcast coverage to sponsorship are larger than ever.
The value and appeal of sponsoring Paralympic sport seem to be underestimated by the teams. There are wealthy and willing companies that share the values connected with Paralympic sport and would delight in entering fruitful commercial partnerships. Yet we continue to blindly take money from fossil fuel giants. I would urge all involved to open their eyes, question their values, stick to their morals and look beyond high-carbon companies. Set the bar high to match the performance targets the athletes continue to transcend.
If you had a message for other athletes in your sport, what would it be?
Focus on performance, and remember that you are human, deeply entangled with the fate of our planet, with a heart and a voice. Have the courage to speak out against the things that you know are wrong.