With sustainability as a core value and a competitive spirit worthy of athletes, Lillehammer Olympic Legacy Sports Centre won the Climate Competition.
In this year’s final climate competition, Lillehammer Olympic Legacy Sports Centre (LOLSC) stood out by securing first place with an impressive effort. As custodians of the legacy from the "first green Olympics," sustainability has long been an integral part of their daily operations, explains project coordinator Madeleine H. Staavi.
“For us, it was an ideal opportunity to inspire our project participants to live more sustainably, while the competition format – something that strongly appeals to athletes – made the learning process even more motivating,” says Staavi.
The lead-up to the climate competition
It’s common to feel a bit nervous before starting a climate competition. Some people are for example worried about whether they’ll be able to engage their employees. However, this wasn’t the case for LOLSC. Madeleine Staavi shared how community and competition are two major drivers within their organisation, something everyone truly values. They were confident this initiative would be well received.
Madeleine told us she had heard about the Climate Competition before. She knew it was an engaging and effective way to promote good climate choices. Since they are constantly looking for ways to make sustainable decisions, the competition was a perfect fit for them. They climbed all the way to the top, proving that their gut feeling was right.
A very positive experience
Right from the introduction of the competition, the team at Lillehammer Olympic Legacy Sports Centre showed strong enthusiasm and great interest. The introduction took place digitally ahead of the competition’s start, as the young leaders participating are spread across the country. While some might see this lack of daily interaction as a challenge, the competition works exceptionally well in a digital format, and the LOLSC team found creative ways to maintain dialogue and engagement.
“Since the competition was part of a programme for young leaders, we approached it a bit differently than other participants. We didn’t meet daily for informal chats as we’re scattered across the country, but we set up a Snapchat group to share experiences and motivate each other. For example, we shared pictures of low-carbon dinners or updates when someone cycled to work. This created a sense of community and made it easier to inspire each other – it also added to the competitive spirit between the teams,” says Madeleine Staavi.
An educational and fun team exercise
The group who participated shared that the competition was both educational and fun. The goal of a climate competition, and the tool itself, is to raise participants’ awareness and show them, with data, that their choices have real value. And the participants from the Legacy Centre can confirm that it did just that. They explained how the competition gave them much better insight into their habits and their impact. It’s far more motivating to make good choices when you know they truly matter – and even how much they matter. The specific actions and tips offered during the competition became great ideas for how they could reduce their carbon footprint, both as individuals and at work.
The competitive aspect was also key. It fostered high engagement and made learning much more enjoyable. To win, you need to take actions that make a real difference. This turned the competition into a strong driver to dive deeper into the activities and explore what could be done in daily life to avoid as many kilos of greenhouse gas emissions as possible.
“It was great fun to see how creative the participants became in their everyday choices, such as making climate-friendly dinners or choosing the bike over the car,” Staavi elaborates.
Looking Forward to New Competitions in 2025
All in all, the Climate Competition in November 2024 was a hugely positive experience for the competitive team at Lillehammer Olympic Legacy Sports Centre. Together, they managed to make choices that avoided a total of 1,966 kg of CO₂e during the competition. That’s equivalent to flying from Moscow to Los Angeles or supplying electricity to a Norwegian household for five months.
This, however, is just the beginning. With the licence, the Legacy Centre now has unlimited access to the tool for both internal and external competitions for an entire year at a time. Madeleine is already planning a new competition in January 2025 as part of an international programme for young sports leaders. The theme of the gathering is "Sport for Peace," where participants will discuss how sport can be used as a tool to promote peace and tolerance. Here, they will also use the competition tool to build teams, foster unity, and have some fun together.
She finishes with a warm recommendation:
"We would absolutely recommend other companies to take part in the Climate Competition. It provides unique insights into your own habits and shows concretely how they impact your carbon footprint. At the same time, it inspires change through practical tips and fresh perspectives. It’s an engaging way to motivate employees to contribute to a more sustainable future – together, we can make a difference!"
