The 2026 Winter Olympics in northern Italy are facing mounting criticism over the environmental impact of their sponsorship deals, with scientists and athletes warning that the Games’ carbon footprint could threaten the future of winter sports.

A report by Scientists for Global Responsibility and the New Weather Institute, titled Olympics Torched, estimates that the Games themselves will produce around 930,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. However, just three sponsorship agreements with major corporations could add 1.3 million tonnes more, more than doubling the total impact. The sponsors identified are oil and gas company Eni, car manufacturer Stellantis, and Italy’s national airline, ITA Airways, with Eni responsible for over half of the added emissions.

The report warns that the combined emissions could result in the loss of 5.5 square kilometres of snow cover in the Dolomites, equivalent to more than 3,000 Olympic-sized ice hockey rinks. Organisers have already announced plans to produce 2.4 million cubic metres of artificial snow for the Games, requiring 948,000 cubic metres of water, as warming temperatures continue to reduce natural snow and glaciers in the region.

“Even without the growing mountain of scientific evidence on the impact of global heating on winter sports, it is plain enough to anyone visiting actual mountains that snow cover is being lost and glaciers are melting,” said Stuart Parkinson, director of Scientists for Global Responsibility. He added that winter sports contribute directly to climate change through emissions and indirectly by promoting major polluters through sponsorship.

The report calls for urgent action, urging the Winter Olympics to end partnerships with high-carbon corporations, avoid new venue construction, and reduce spectator travel by air. Swedish cross-country skier Björn Sandström said the Games’ greatest influence is the signal they send to the world. “When that signal is driven by fossil-fuel sponsorship, it directly contradicts climate science and threatens the future of winter sport,” he said.

Greenlandic biathlete Ukalew Slettermark echoed the concern, arguing that giving oil companies a platform at the Games is unjustifiable. “It’s a complete contradiction when the fossil fuel industry, the biggest contributor to climate change, is allowed to sponsor winter sports, which they are simultaneously threatening,” she said.

The report also highlights broader environmental challenges in the Alps. Italy has lost 265 ski resorts in the past five years due to rising temperatures, and recent studies show mountain regions are warming faster than lowland areas, putting winter sports at risk.

The Milan-Cortina Olympics, spread across the Dolomites, have become a focal point for debates about climate responsibility in global sporting events. Critics say sponsorship deals with polluting corporations undermine efforts to promote sustainability and could damage the credibility of winter sports in a warming world.

Euronews Green has reached out to the International Olympic Committee for comment.