Category: ZERO

“I thought I was already quite concerned with the climate, but this workshop has made me realize even more that it is really high time to take action. Even small things can result in big things. I have decided to convince people more to participate in this, that will be my mission :-)”

This is a quote from a young female Belgian snowboarder after participating in the Erasmus+ ZERO Rides Climate Education workshop. Wow. It emulates the exact impact that we wanted to see from these workshops. We hoped that the future generations left feeling empowered to take action and to use snowboarding as a way to do so.

Let’s backtrack first and explain what workshops we are talking about. As part of the Erasmus+ ZERO Rides Project, over two winter seasons, the national federations and Protect Our Winters Europe are working together to put on climate education workshops. Since October, five workshops have been held across five different countries, Finland, Germany, Portugal, Hungary and Switzerland, for children from 12 to 19 years old. Throughout the workshops, young snowboarders (and some skiers too because why keep things so separated?) understand what is happening with the climate crisis and what is the science behind it. Then, crucially, we present what can be done to address it. We frame it as what can be done as a young snowboarder – what power do you and your snowboard have?

When we asked the kids, what they would share with the families when they went home, here is what they said (translated from native language to English):

“Climate change is dangerous and must be stopped not only for snowboarding but for the earth”

“Workshop was engaging”

“That it is high time to pay more attention to the environment and sustainability.”

“Cool presentation”

It can be a bit daunting to discover the impacts of human-induced climate change; it can be a bit daunting to have to teach it. That’s why we have activities. After the presentation (and a break), there are various activities to engage the kids. From a pedagogical perspective, we learn well when we are active both mentally and physically. The kids get up and run doing wheelbarrow races, seasonal food calendars, making decisions related to consumption and overall, letting them explore the climate topic.

From our post-workshop survey, the majority of the participants found the activities to be most enjoyable

Our favorite part was that everyone, from the Protect Our Winters facilitators to the federation people to the kids, can bring their own story and share something to one another, too. Education is a two-way street, here’s what the workshop facilitators and federations have to say about the workshops so far:

“They seemed to enjoy the activities, and overall getting their hands “dirty” with the assignments. They already seemed to be very informed about climate change, and the discussions we had using the questions in the presentation were also interesting.” – POW facilitator for the workshop in Finland

“The stations were really cool and helped a lot to understand the complex topic” – The coaches from the German Federation who watched the workshop

This is not to say that these workshops are perfect. Much has been uncovered about what is relevant for kids, what information works in which countries, and how snowboarders engage with the climate crisis. And we believe we can dig deeper. We, Protect Our Winters, are going to build this feedback into the creation of an e-learning platform and a board game. So stay tuned for the release of that. Also, next winter, we will be hosting these workshops again! We are excited.

To round off, and motivate us all, here are some quotes from these young snowboarders on taking climate action:

“The importance of a small action”

“Climate change needs to be taken seriously”

“Not to waste with the equipment (by buying new stuff too often)”

Words: Gillian Rosh, POW

Photo-Credits: (c) Sneeuwsport Vlaanderen, POW

You want to make an impact on your community and snowboarding? Then this one is for you.

 

In order for the WSF and its project partners to better design our “ZERO project” for you, we would like to know more about you as a snowboarder and your relationship to the environment. Please give us 10 minutes of your time to fill in the questionnaire.

 

Survey in German.

Survey in English.

 

Thank you very much!

Photo-Credit: (c) Banked Bakony, Hungary

Collection of existing educational and raising awareness content for the youth on sustainability and climate change, within snowboard associations.

Every person has an individual responsibility towards the environment – in life, and in sport. Sport organisations also have a responsibility in terms of recycling waste, using materials that can be recycled, food that should not be easily thrown away, and above all, providing educational and awareness raising material for its members. The WSF recognized its responsibility and is taking action.

Together with its members, the World Snowboard Federation is seeking to embark on the journey of sustainability and use the power of sport to educate, empower and foster inclusion. In the context of the ERASMUS+ ZERO (Zero Emission Rides Objective) project, lead by the WSF, the project partners put together a collection of existing education and awareness raising content within the partners consortium.

The foreseen Collection of best practice examples is expected to contribute to a more sustainable “World of snowboarding”. It will serve as a tool to raise awareness about the urgency of taking action and the impact of individual and organisational behaviour in our race to a more sustainable future (of sport).

Sustainability is a team effort.

The Collection of best practice examples emphasizes the need for joint promotional activities, especially through social networks, for sport in general, and snowboarding (& winter sport) in specific to impose itself as a leader when it comes to environmental sustainability efforts.

The included examples are good practice examples from the project partners coming from ten different countries. The good practices are distributed in five categories: digitalisation, mountain, equipment & facilities, transportation & education.

This Collection of Best Practices is for anyone who wants to make a positive impact working towards a sustainable (sport) world. Existing good practice examples from different countries should inspire you to replicate different activities in your surroundings.

Read the full document HERE.

More information about ZERO.

 

Author: Ivana Pranjić

Photo-Credit: Sneeuwsport Vlaanderen

 

In the context of the ERASMUS+ ZERO (Zero Emission Rides Objectives) project, the project consortium published a report on the impact of snowboarding on climate change and on the environment. Lead by our experienced research partner, the German Sports University, the report analyzes the existing literature on the impact of winter sport on climate change to identify the specificities of snowboarding: how do existing snowboarding practices impact climate change and contribute to the degradation of the environment? Therefore, it builds on existing studies and academic results, providing an analysis targeting the snowboard practices and communities to empower partners with more knowledge and provide informative content.

This report serves as the initial step in evaluating the impact of the snowboarding scene on greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) while identifying potential areas for sustainable practices. The approach encompasses a comprehensive analysis across multiple domains to paint a holistic picture of snowboarding’s environmental footprint.

Beginning with an overview of the Alpine landscape, the report delves into current climate conditions and future projections, specifically focusing on temperature trends and snow cover. These factors are pivotal in determining the viability of mountain sports, including snowboarding, in the foreseeable future.

Subsequently, the report narrows its focus to scrutinize the influence of mountain sports on GHG emissions, with an emphasis on delineating specific aspects relevant to snowboarding. It investigates various facets within the mountain sports and snowboarding communities, seeking opportunities for emission reductions. Analysing mobility, energy usage, resource management, and production conditions will uncover potential avenues for sustainability measures at an individual, organisational, and community level.

Read the full report HERE.

Author: Ivana Pranjić

Photo-Credit: World Rookie Tour

From 25^th to 27^th October, Planegg was center stage for the ZERO Project partners. The second in person project meeting took place in the premises of Snowboard Germany.

Hosted by Snowboard Germany in Planegg, all 11 partner organisations gathered for the 2^nd in-person Partner’s meeting of the ERASMUS+ funded ZERO consortium.

The meeting defined an important milestone for the development of the challenges and rides for the ZERO Platform on the WSF Academy website. The work sessions were intense and productive, thus resulting in the development of rides and challenges for the ZERO Platform (stay tuned ).

The defined rides and challenges will be developed in collaboration with “battle now”, the platform for video based online contests. The project team has been very productive and with their expertise and experience, we developed the first bunch of challenges and rides for the upcoming winter.

Our research expert urged for action towards climate change, otherwise winter resorts will have to close on a rolling basis. Also, according to the EU Flash Eurobarometer, 39% would like to see combating climate change prioritized more. To follow the voice of the people, ZERO is putting climate change at the core of its actions & works to educate as much young people as possible about sustainability and climate action. Having an outstanding educational expert – POW Europe – material for the educational workshops in all partner countries were presented.

The mission here is clear: as many snowboarders as possible should be knowledgeable about climate change and become actors in creating a more sustainable mountain community.

Finland already kicked off the workshop circle, followed by Germany. More is yet to come. Follow WSF and our project partners on social media to stay tuned about updates – maybe you are lucky and can join some of the workshops.

Stay tuned.