The climate activist group "Folk mot fossilmakta" says they are happy to avoid sabotaging Saturday's World Championship race. By reaching an agreement with the World Championship skiers, they have achieved what they wanted, says Ragnhild Kvist Simonsen when she meets TT outside the entrance to the World Championship arena Granåsen in Trondheim.
None of us really wanted to destroy the race. We are very happy to avoid it. The skiers have taken responsibility for this situation, despite it being the organizers who should have taken the responsibility.
Initially, the demands were made to the World Championship organizer – to remove all advertising for fossil fuel companies and to show an information film about the need to phase out coal, oil, and gas – but they got a cold shoulder.
Will put pressure on Fis
Together with the skiers, the group has instead reached an agreement, which they see as sufficient to cancel the planned action. The agreement consists of submitting a joint proposal to the International Ski and Snowboard Federation's (Fis) congress on June 13:
It has two parts. One part is to develop a framework that prioritizes sponsors who are serious about their climate work. The other is that Fis should take on a leadership role in climate work. It's about them backing an international agreement for the phase-out of fossil fuels (Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative).
How confident are you that it will be followed?
The skiers share our concerns, so I trust that they really want to work together to achieve real change.
And when it comes to Fis?
We'll see.
Silence from Norwegian skiers
Former Swedish national team skier Björn Sandström is one of those who has been in dialogue with the group. The same applies to World Championship skiers Julia Kern, Gus Schumacher from the USA, and Briton James Clugnet.
So far, 17 athletes from several nations have signed a list supporting the agreement. There are Frida Karlsson, Truls Gisselman, and Märta Rosenberg from the Swedish World Championship team.
But no Norwegian skiers.
I really hope that the Norwegian skiers will join eventually. I'm very happy about those who have signed, but the silence from the Norwegian skiers is sad.
Björn Sandström, Sweden.
Märta Rosenberg, Sweden.
Frida Karlsson, Sweden.
Truls Gisselman, Sweden.
Gus Schumacher, USA.
Julia Kern, USA.
Jessie Diggins, USA.
JC Schoonmaker, USA.
Katherine Stewart-Jones, Canada.
Xavier McKeever, Canada.
Beda Klee, Switzerland.
Flora Dolci, France.
Fredrik Fodstad, Colombia.
Lars Young Vik, Australia.
Bentley Walker-Broose, Australia.
Seve de Campo, Australia.
Fedele de Campo, Australia.
Tuva Bygrave, Australia.
Rosie Fordham, Australia.
Phoebe Cridland, Australia.
Ellen Lie, Australia.
Federico Pellegrino, Italy.
Davide Graz, Italy.
Martino Carollo, Italy.
Caterina Ganz, Italy.
Dietmar Nöckler, Italy.
Francesco De Fabiani, Italy.
