Greenpeace's Winter Olympics of discontent

One year of Italian oil and gas giant Eni’s emissions could melt enough glacier ice to fill 2.5 million Olympic swimming pools says Greenpeace, demonstrating the corporation’s central role in the climate crisis that threatens the future viability of the Games and winter sports.

This satirical Greenpeace Italy video, created by Studio Birthplace, shows speed skaters, skiers and bobsledders racing along, with Eni logos prominent throughout, when suddenly a trickle of oil turns into a tsunami, sweeping the athletes off their feet, causing them to slip and crash as a sea of oil engulfs them. 

The spot lays bare the real impact of oil and gas on winter sports, including the Olympics, which starts this week, and warns of the risk of losing them forever without a rapid transition from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy. More than half of the potential cities which could host the Winter Games will be "climate-unreliable" by the 2080s, according to a 2024 scientific study funded by the IOC. These findings are the reason why Greenpeace is calling for the IOC to end fossil fuel sponsorship across the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games and all Olympic Games through an open letter published today.

“Fossil fuel-driven climate change is putting the Winter Olympics and Paralympics at risk, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) cannot ignore this," said Greenpeace Italy climate campaigner Federico Spadini. "The Olympic values of respect for people and the environment matter, that’s why Greenpeace is calling for the International Olympic Committee to drop oil and gas sponsorship from the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games and commit to ending fossil fuel sponsorship across all Olympic Games.”