Kirsty Coventry (centre left) was elected IOC president in March 2025
International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry says it must "be better" on climate change after receiving a petition signed by more than 21,000 people who want to stop fossil fuel companies from sponsoring winter sports.
The petition - delivered on Wednesday and with athletes among the signatories - comes as Italy's Eni, one of the world's seven biggest oil companies, is a 'premium partner' of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
It follows reports that the number of countries which could reliably host a Winter Olympics will hugely reduce in the future because of climate change.
Asked by the BBC whether she is disappointed by the Games having high-carbon sponsors, Coventry said: "It's really nice athletes have a platform to speak up.
