COC Climate Action Plan & Resources
Quick Links:
- COC Climate Action Plan
- United Nations Sport for Climate Action Commitment
- Climate Action Resources
- Team Canada Distinctions & Awards
- Green Sports Day in Canada
Across Canada, communities are experiencing the impacts of our changing climate. Since the 1970s, we’ve lost more than 30 viable days for outdoor skating in the winter season, witnessed a >10% reduction of snowfall across all regions, seen a growing number of out-of-control wildfires that have impacted air quality nationwide, and endured worsening heat waves, floods, and storms.
As a sports leader in Canada, we acknowledge that we have a role to play in pursuing climate action and reducing our carbon footprint. We must also collaborate with partners across sectors to identify solutions that will keep sport safe and fun into the future. These actions are critical to the preservation of sporting environments, so athletes and all people across our country can continue to play and practice the sports they love.
As a responsible non-profit organization with national and international reach, we believe that adopting a strategic climate action plan will help move us from climate goals to climate actions. It will help us focus and prioritize our operations and decisions in accordance with our purpose of Transforming Canada Through the Power of Sport.
Through the Team Canada Impact Agenda and the COC Climate Action Plan, we are committed to reducing our carbon emissions by 50% by 2030, achieving net zero by 2040, bringing a sustainability mindset to everything we do and empowering the sport community across Canada to become climate actors.
COC Climate Action Plan
The COC reports its initiatives around climate action and climate empowerment in its Impact Report published annually in April for the previous calendar year and is available at olympic.ca and on the Global Climate Action Portal.
Starting in 2025, the COC will report its yearly progress to the Board of Directors and will disclose its carbon footprint in its Impact Report, with 2022 as the baseline year. The COC’s Impact Report is audited every year by an expert consultancy firm.
United Nations Sport for Climate Action Commitment
In 2020, the COC became a signatory to the United Nations Sport for Climate Action, an initiative launched in 2018 by UN Climate Change and the International Olympic Committee with the aim of developing a climate agenda for sport.
In the Spring of 2022, the COC committed to the UN Race to Zero Framework, to reduce the organization’s carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
As part of this commitment, the COC is also required to submit a Climate Action Plan to the United Nations on how the organization intends to reach these targets and to report to the UN on its annual carbon footprint and the progress being made on emissions reductions by comparing to its base year.
More than 40 other National Olympic Committees have already become signatories to the Sport for Climate Action Racer to Zero Framework. They are joined by several other Canadian sport organizations, including the Canada Games Council.
Along with these signatories and other sport organizations across the country, the COC is also part of the Canadian Alliance on Sports for Climate Action, a community of practice on sport and climate action. The hope is that many more actors within the Canadian sport system will join this group to share best practices and to be inspired by each other’s climate action journeys.
Climate Action Resources
There are multiple resources available to help sport organizations, their staff, athletes, and fans understand the connection between sport and climate and how to act on it. Below are the most relevant for Canada-based organizations:
Awareness Days
- Earth Day is April 22
- Green Sports Day Canada is October 6
International, National and Provincial Organizations & Groups
- United Nations Climate Change – Sport for Climate Action
- The International Olympic Committee’s Climate Commitment
- Canadian Alliance on Sport for Climate Action
- Réseau Eco-Sportif au Québec
Olympic Games Sustainability Strategies
- Paris 2024 Sustainable Strategy and Results
- Milano Cortina 2026 Sustainability and Legacy Strategy
- Los Angeles 2028 Initial Legacy Approach
- French Alps 2030 Vision
Free e-learning courses for sport organizations, staff, athletes, and fans
| Course | Audience | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sports and Climate Action e-learning series Provided by UN Climate Change | For all | Provides sports professionals, decision-makers, and enthusiasts with the knowledge and tools to contribute to a low-emission and climate-resilient future in sports |
| Sustainability in sport Provided by EcoSports Pro | For all | Designed to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills to drive sustainability in the sports industry |
| Educational video series Provided by Racing to Zero | For all | A short series introducing you to common obstacles and their suggested solutions when beginning your sustainability journey in sport. |
| How to be a sustainable champion Provided by the International Olympic Committee & Athlete 365 | For athletes | Designed specifically to help athletes understand and reduce their environmental impacts on a daily basis |
| Research reports on sport, climate & nature Provided by The Sport Ecology Group | For students and academics | All sport ecology research related to sport, climate action, and the natural environment grouped in one place to inform the work you’re doing |
| Sport & Sustainability Provided by the Canadian Olympic School Program | For Grade 2-6 students | Designed to help students understand the environmental impact of sports and identify CO2 emissions sources in sports activities and apply the 5 Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Refuse, and Recycle) to make their sports equipment and activities more sustainable. |
| Sustainable Sport Event Toolkit Provided by the Canada Games Council | For Sport Event Organizers in Canada | The toolkit is designed for Canada Games Host Societies, providing step-by-step guidance that aligns with the Canada Games Council’s governance and sustainability requirements. It is also adaptable for sports organizers at all levels—from grassroots groups to large-scale event planners—who are starting or advancing their sustainability journey and seeking practical guidance.The CGC also provides Sport Organizations with a set of actionable and accessible steps to reducethe environmental footprint of sport event hosting in the Quick wins booklet. |
| NSO Sharing Centre Resources Provided by the Canadian Olympic Committee | For National Sport Organizations | The COC’s Enhancement Initiative Sharing Centre is home to hundreds of resources made by and for Canadian National Sport Organisations. |
Team Canada Distinctions & Awards
Over the years, Team Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have been recognized for their work on climate action and climate action empowerment on multiple occasions:
- In 2020 & 2021, the COC was among a small group of NOCs to receive IOC Climate Action Awards, which were created to inspire climate action by recognizing the sustainability efforts of sports organizations within the Olympic Movement.
- Seyi Smith, two-time Olympian (2012, 2018) in athletics and bobsleigh, was the recipient of an OLY Canada Legacy Grant in 2020 and 2021 for his Racing to Zero initiative. He and his team made an educational video series available on their YouTube channel.
- In 2022, Brenda Taylor, a two-time Olympic gold medallist (1992) in rowing, received an OLY Canada Legacy Grant to support her Decarbonizing Rowing: Electric Outboard Pilot Project, with the main objective to empower communities with the information and confidence to switch from gas to e-outboards. The International Olympic Committee also encouraged her initiative through the Olympic Solidarity in 2023.
- Two Canadian Olympians were shortlisted in the Athlete Advocacy category of the 2023 IOC Climate Action Awards: Oliver Schofield, Tokyo 2020 Olympian in field hockey, and Marion Thénault, Beijing 2022 Olympic bronze medallist in freestyle skiing (aerials), for all they do for sport and climate action.
- Marion Thénault, who wants to be carbon neutral by the time she returns to the Olympic Games at Milano Cortina 2026, also received an OLY Canada Legacy Grant in 2023 and 2024 for her project Small Footprint, Big Jumps that creates guidelines for individual athletes to become carbon-neutral in their sporting activities while also pushing event organizers to apply those guidelines, starting with the FIS Freestyle World Cup for aerials in Le Relais.
- Julie-Anne Staehli, Tokyo 2020 Olympian in athletics, received an OLY Canada Legacy Grant in 2023 and 2024 to support her ReRUN Shoe Project, which removes barriers to a more active lifestyle by distributing lightly used shoes that would otherwise be thrown away to under-resourced youth. She was invited to present her initative to the 2024 Acting Green Forum, which had 6000 people watching online from 30 countries around the world.
- In 2024, once again, both Oliver Schofield and Marion Thénault were shortlisted for the IOC Climate Action Awards for their continuous work and how they use their platform for sport & climate action.
- Canada Artistic Swimming, Cycling Canada and Freestyle Canada have been successful in participating into the 2025 NSO Sustainability Pilot Project. Their willingness and commitment to act for climate action allowed them to benefit from the expertise and support from Racing to Zero to identify or refine their sustainability strategy, determine their emissions baseline, and host an internal workshop on the importance of sustainability and strategies to reduce impact.
- 2025 OLY Canada Legacy Grants were awarded to Melissa Humana-Paredes, two-time Olympian (2020, 2024) and Paris 2024 silver medallist in beach volleyball for her project Green Sports Day Canada, and Gabrielle Smith, Tokyo 2020 Olympian in rowing, for her grassroots environmental initiative that removes waste from local beaches, lakes, rivers, and the ocean, while educating the public on the effects of polluting waterways and empowering individuals to take action.
Green Sports Day in Canada
Green Sports Day Canada is on October 6. It was first celebrated in 2021 to launch a national conversation about sustainable sport. The Canadian Olympic Committee is a proud supporter of this initiative through the years.
In 2024, the Canadian Olympic Committee offered an education session in which teachers and their students could join Team Canada Olympians for a free, interactive lesson on sport and sustainability, designed for Grades K-8. The session gave students the opportunity to hear directly from Paris 2024 Olympians about their experiences with climate change. The COC also participated in the venue light-up across Canada.
Visit www.greensportsverts.ca to learn more about the next editions of Green Sport Day in Canada.