The GAMES project (Green Approaches in Management for Enhancing Sports), an Erasmus+ funded initiative, concluded in February 2025 after more than 30 months of dedicated efforts to promote environmental sustainability in sports. Launched in mid-2022, the project aimed to increase awareness and adoption of climate change mitigation practices among sports stakeholders, particularly in Biathlon, Athletics, and Floorball. By assessing its current climate change governance and management practices, the IBU was able to introduce several new practises to help decarbonise the sport of Biathlon.

Throughout the project, the IBU has played an active role in its delivery and implemented several key initiatives to enhance sustainability within the sport:

Decarbonizing Actions:

• Event Bidding Process: The IBU incorporated climate change mitigation and environmental sustainability requirements into the host and event bidding process for IBU events from the 2026-2027 season, and initiating an expanded monitoring of environmental management at IBU-licensed events.​

• Alternative Heating Solutions: At the World Cups in Oberhof and Ruhpolding (Germany), a project substituting diesel with pellets in the heating of VIP tents significantly contributed to reducing the carbon footprint of temporary infrastructures.

Sustainability Workshops:

• World Championships in Oberhof 2023: The IBU hosted a Sustainability Seminar during the World Championships in Oberhof, Germany, bringing together athletes, partners, national federations, and scientists to share knowledge and discuss long-term decarbonisation strategies.

• OC Meeting in Prague June 2023: A workshop was conducted during the Organizing Committee Meeting in Prague, focusing on integrating sustainable practices into event planning and execution.​

• IBU Congress in Belgrade September 2024: At the IBU Congress in Belgrade, a Sustainability Masterclass for National Federation leaders addressed learning to navigate climate change impacts and implement sustainable practices, but also emphasized the importance of environmental stewardship in biathlon.

Initiatives:

• On-Site visit of the World Championship in Oberhof 2023: During the World Championships in Oberhof 2023, the Games project conducted an on-site visit to identify good practices and improvement opportunities for the event's environmental management.

• Webinar on Fan Mobility: The IBU organised a webinar focusing on minimising the impact of fan mobility at sports events. Representatives from the German Ski Association and OC Lenzerheide discussed sustainable transportation strategies implemented at the World Championships Oberhof 2023 and the IBU World Cup in Lenzerheide in December 2023.​

Conferences:

• Mid-Term Conference in Oslo February 2024: The IBU co-hosted the #MakingSportSustainable Conference at IBU partner university the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences in Oslo. This mid-term conference explored ways sports organisations and event hosts can integrate decarbonisation practices into their governance and operations.

• Final Conference in Malmö: The project concluded with a final conference in Malmö, Sweden, held alongside the 2024 IFF Men’s World Floorball Championships. The event showcased the project's results and provided a platform to discuss its impact on sustainability in sports.

The GAMES project played a key role in helping implement these sustainability actions. While the project has come to an end, the IBU’s work in decarbonising biathlon and increasing its environmental sustainability efforts will continue.

For more information, visit https://erasmus-games.com/