Greenpeace Protests Eni Sponsorship of Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics, Highlighting Climate Concerns
As the Milan Cortina 2026 winter Olympics opening ceremony approaches, environmental association Greenpeace italia has sharply criticized the sponsorship deal between the games and Italian energy company Eni, arguing it’s a tactic to distract from the company’s contribution to climate change.
Greenpeace asserts that Eni’s greenhouse gas emissions are actively undermining the conditions necessary for winter sports. “Sponsorships like that of Eni for Milan Cortina 2026 are not innocent, they are a distraction to make us forget the damage thes companies are causing to the planet,” the organization stated in a press release. “Eni’s emissions help eliminate the snow and ice that the Olympics themselves depend on.”
The criticism comes as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) acknowledged receiving a petition with over 21,000 signatures demanding an end to Olympic sponsorships from oil and gas companies.
Greenpeace further points to an IOC-commissioned study predicting that more than half of the cities currently capable of hosting the Winter Olympics may be unable to do so by 2080 due to global warming, a phenomenon fueled by fossil fuel companies like Eni.
IOC executive Director for the Olympics, Christophe Dubi, stated the organization takes these petitions seriously and recognizes climate change as a significant challenge. “As an organization we must be at the forefront of lasting advancement,and our principles are vrey clear,” he said. IOC President Kirsty Coventry added that the organization is striving “to do better,” but acknowledged that progress “requires time.”
Eni defends its involvement, emphasizing its commitment to sustainability. The company highlighted that the Olympic torch, produced by one of its subsidiaries, is made with over 60% recycled materials and runs on biofuel derived from 100% renewable sources.
though, critics argue that these efforts represent a limited response to the broader impact of Eni’s core business.The debate underscores the increasing pressure on the IOC to align its partnerships with its stated sustainability goals and address the growing threat climate change poses to the future of the Winter Olympics.
Sources:
* https://olympics.com/en/news/milan-cortina-2026-ioc-president-kirsty-coventry-on-sustainability
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