Pro Climbers Urge IFSC and the Climbing Community to Cut Off Polluting Sponsors
Climbing pioneers, joined by rising talents and influential organisations have signed an open letter as part of the Fossil Free Declaration—an initiative recreational and professional climbers can join—urging the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC), national climbing federations and the wider climbing community to cut sponsorship ties with fossil fuel companies, the aviation industry, and makers of new internal combustion engine cars.
The letter, released during the IFSC World Championships in Seoul, demands that climbing federations show climate leadership by rejecting partnerships with industries that are driving the climate crisis.
Pro climber and climate activist, Eline Le Menestrel. © Eline Le Menestrel
The declaration – initiated by the Cool Down Network and endorsed by figures including Kilian Jornet, James Pearson, Katherine Choong, Lattice Training, and the Kilian Jornet Foundation – calls for a ‘fossil free future’ for the sport.
“While climbing is not yet heavily sponsored by the most polluting sectors, ‘sportswashing’ has become a norm in nearly every other major sport,” the letter states. “We urge the climbing community, event organisers, and national and international federations to take a stand by declaring a ban on high-carbon advertising. As climbing grows, we must ensure our sponsors align with our values—protecting the future of the planet over profit.”
The call comes in the wake of the IFSC's controversial partnership last year with Saudi Arabia for the NEOM Masters. Critics have pointed to the deal as a concerning example of 'sportswashing' in the sport by a petrostate with a record of obstructing climate action and human rights abuses.
“As lovers of the mountains and nature, it’s obvious why we would want to sign the open letter. Whilst it’s tempting to chase after the financial support these sorts of new, big budget partnerships might bring, it’s important to stay in touch with your base values, and think about what impact short term gains like these may have on future generations chance to explore.”
Photo: Caro Ciavaldini
"Climbing is at a fork in the road where it can go down the well-trodden path of polluter sponsorship, or it could lead where other sports have not been brave enough," Liam Killeen of Cool Down said about the letter. "These inspiring athletes are calling on climbing governance bodies - such as the IFSC and the BMC - to walk the talk of climate action by signing the Fossil Free Declaration and refusing to partner with high-carbon sponsors."
Momentum for fossil-free advertising is already building outside of sport. Earlier this year, the Gothenburg region joined Edinburgh, Sheffield, and Stockholm in banning fossil fuel, airline, and high-emission vehicle advertising. The climbers argue it is now time for sports governance bodies to follow suit.
By signing the Fossil Free Declaration, climbers commit in an individual capacity to refuse partnerships with high-carbon industries and to advocate for sponsorship guidelines in sport that align with climate science. They frame the decision as not only an ethical imperative, but as existential to their sport:
“I signed the declaration because as athletes, we have a responsibility to push for a future where sport is not tied to industries fueling the climate crisis. Climbing teaches respect for the natural world, and I believe our sport should reflect that by ending partnerships with high-carbon sponsors.”
Photo: Katherine Choong
“As glaciers retreat, rockfalls become more frequent, and mountain environments grow more dangerous, climbing faces an existential threat from the very forces that seek to profit from its destruction.”
Although climbing remains relatively untouched by fossil fuel sponsorship compared to football or cycling, its rapid growth since becoming an Olympic sport in 2020 makes it an attractive target for polluting industries. The declaration positions climbing to lead by example—showing that sport can thrive without backing from companies whose business models fuel the climate crisis.
Join the declaration as a recreational climber to stay up to date with the initiative and find out how you can encourage professional climbers and governance bodies to implement a fossil fuel advertising ban.