International Rafting Federation

Official world rafting governing body

IRF to attend inaugural meeting of UN Sports for Climate Action initiative

16 September 2019

Later this week, representatives from the IRF will attend the first working meeting of the United Nations Sports for Climate Action signatories. This initiative brings together the world’s leading sports governing bodies under a global initiative to influence the way that sports can effect positive change to our shared climate.

This historic meeting is being hosted by the International Olympic Committee at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland and will bring together leading sports partners from across the globe ahead of the United Nations Climate Action Summit to be held at UN Headquarters in New York on the 23rd of September.

*Confirmation letter from UNFCCC Executive Secretary*

The IRF is amongst other leading sports governing bodies taking part such as FIFA, World Rugby, World Sailing, World Taekwondo, United World Wrestling, International Climbing and Mountaineering, International Triathlon Union, International Ice Hockey Federation, International Equestrian Federation, Formula E, National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Organising Committee. Each sports governing body has already committed to the five core principles of the initiative and the aims of the Paris Agreement and this inaugural meeting will seek ways in which all these bodies will work together for the betterment of the planet. Each sports governing body will strive to:

promote greater environmental responsibility;
reduce the overall climate impact from sports;
use our platform to educate for climate action;
promote sustainable and responsible consumption; and
advocate for climate action through our communications.

The IRF is no stranger to leading on climate action having delivered the first ever certified carbon neutral World Sports Event at our 2011 IRF World Rafting Championships in Costa Rica. We now request all IRF event hosts to make bold moves toward carbon neutral and earth friendly initiatives at each event. Our hosts for the 2020 IRF World Rafting Championships in China have committed to providing a carbon neutral event and we will work closely with the event management team to ensure this promise becomes a reality.

We look forward to working with all of these leading sports governing bodies for betterment of our planet and for the sharing of ideas and common goals to build our common sports fraternity.