New polling shows Winter Olympics fans want fossil fuel sponsors dropped as concern over snow loss surges
One week ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, new international polling reveals overwhelming public concern about the loss of snow and ice due to global heating – and strong support for ending fossil fuel advertising in winter sports.
Polling across seven leading winter sports nations in Europe and Canada finds that large majorities of the public, and even bigger majorities of winter sports fans, believe the Olympics and winter sports more broadly should stop advertising companies driving the climate crisis. The findings expose a growing disconnect between the values of audiences and the commercial partnerships underpinning elite winter sport.
Key findings from the polling include:
- Concern about snow and ice loss due to global warming is especially high in Italy and France, with 67% concerned in both current and next host countries.
- Majorities in all other countries polled also express high concern: UK (62%), Sweden (60%), Canada (59%), Germany (57%), Norway (56%).
- Support for ending fossil fuel advertising in winter sports is even higher, led by France (83%), Italy (77%) and the UK (77%).
- Majorities also back ending oil company sponsorship of the Winter Olympics specifically, including France (74%) and Italy (64%).
- Winter sports fans are the most critical group, with support for ending polluter sponsorships ranging from 62% in Norway to 86% in France.
In both Italy and France – the current and next hosts of the Winter Olympics – over two thirds of people (67%) say they are concerned about the reduction in snow and ice due to global warming. At the same time, public support for banning advertising by high-carbon companies in winter sports is strikingly high. In France, set to host the Games in 2030, 83% agree that winter sports organisations should stop advertising major climate polluters. In Italy, host of the Milano Cortina 2026 Games, almost eight out of ten people (77%) agree.
The polling was conducted by the agency Novus on behalf of the New Weather Institute (UK and Sweden), the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), and Klimakultur in Norway. Countries surveyed were Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Canada and the UK. In every country polled except Norway – a major oil producer – a clear majority want the Olympics and winter sports in general to stop advertising high-carbon companies. The findings are particularly resonant given that the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics are sponsored by the Italian oil major Eni.
When asked specifically whether the Winter Olympics should stop advertising oil companies like Eni, majorities again agreed in every country. Support was strongest in France, where 74% want such deals to end. In Italy, nearly two thirds of people (64%) agree that the Winter Olympics should stop promoting oil companies.
Fans lead the call for change
Across almost all countries surveyed, people who enjoy watching or taking part in winter sports are even more critical of fossil fuel advertising than the general public. In France, almost nine out of ten winter sports fans (86%) want winter sports to stop advertising high-carbon companies. The figure is 85% in the UK, while in Germany it is 78% and in Canada 74%. In Italy, more than two thirds of winter sports fans (68%) believe the Winter Olympics specifically should stop advertising oil companies like Eni.
As the Milano Cortina 2026 Games approach, the polling sends a clear message: public opinion is shifting fast, fans are ahead of governing bodies, and pressure is mounting on the Olympic movement to drop fossil fuel sponsors – just as sport once did with tobacco – to protect the future of winter sport itself.
Andrew Simms, co-director of the New Weather Institute, said:
“The general public have seen through the madness of the Winter Olympics being sponsored by the companies whose climate pollution is melting the snow and ice that winter sports depend on. Eight out of ten people in both Italy and France, the current and next Winter Olympic hosts, want winter sports to stop advertising big polluters. It’s time for sports organisers to apply the lessons of the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, which led the way in banning tobacco sponsorship of sport, and drop sponsors whose products threaten the health of athletes and the future of winter sports.”
Anna Jonsson, co-director of the New Weather Institute Sweden, added:
“The result shows strong support across Europe and in Canada for the Olympic movement and other winter sports organisations to stop promoting polluting companies. It is not surprising that in almost every country in the polling those enjoying winter sports, either watching or taking part themselves, are even more critical of these polluting sponsorships that are contributing to the melting of snow and ice. This is a very clear signal. It is just a matter of time about who will be the first to take a clear stand. Just as with tobacco advertising, sport can choose to be the heroes by dropping harmful adverts.”
Dr Melissa Lem, past president of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, said:
“Winter sports bring joy and health benefits to people across the country – from cardiovascular fitness to stress reduction to social connection. But the very snow and ice that make winter sports possible are at risk as our planet heats. The cruel irony is that the fossil fuel companies responsible continue to splash their logos across our winter games. It’s time to end fossil fuel sponsorships that threaten both outdoor winter activities and the health of communities worldwide.”
Erlend Eggen, CEO of Klimakultur in Norway, noted:
“These are encouraging figures for a major oil producing country like Norway. Resistance to oil companies’ sponsorship of winter sports and the Olympics persists in Norway despite decades of massive influence campaigns from Norwegian oil companies through targeted sponsorships.”
Climate scientist Dr Stuart Parkinson, executive director of Scientists for Global Responsibility, said the polling mirrors the scientific evidence:
“This polling demonstrates that the views of the general public, and especially those who enjoy winter sports, reflect what climate science tells us about the threat posed to snow and ice by fossil fuels. So many people want to see an end to major climate polluters sponsoring the Winter Olympics and snow sports – and this mirrors the findings of our own new research report “Olympics Torched”, which estimates the climate impacts of promoting those polluters.”
Former Swedish national cross-country skier Emil Johansson Kringstad added:
“Oil companies don’t belong in the Olympics – these Games honour human strength, not the forces weakening the world we compete on.”
