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Sport relies on ethics combined with rules to create fair conditions and just sporting results. It is troubling that sport sponsors do not seem bound in the same way. - Olympian Etienne Stott

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Etienne Stott

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I have had the honour to dedicate most of my life to my sport, canoe slalom, and I achieved every athlete’s dream of being an Olympic champion. In 2012 at the Summer Olympics in London, time was critical; every second, every moment counted.

The disastrous consequences of climate change mean that our planet is in big trouble and it does not have the luxury of time. On the course we are heading, it is difficult for us to imagine just how much worse things are going to get. But it is absolutely certain that every second counts.

That is why I have dedicated my time and energy to fight for action on climate change and nature protection. But many well-known companies are doing the opposite. Many have developed sophisticated and well-resourced strategies to try and preserve their harmful business models. They intend to delay the necessary action and obscure their efforts to do so from public view.

Shockingly, Toyota is one of them. It insists on greenwashing itself as a sustainable mobility solutions provider, while they continue to manufacture millions of polluting vehicles each year.

At this year’s Paris Olympics, Toyota is providing 500 hydrogen-powered Mirai cars to shuttle athletes and other delegates around the streets of the French capital, while they fully know that hydrogen is harmful to the environment and its use will not get us to net zero emissions.

Sport relies on ethics combined with rules to create fair conditions and just sporting results. It is troubling that sport sponsors do not seem bound in the same way. Toyota is being economical with the truth and does not want the public to know that some hydrogen engines release nitrogen oxides and methane emissions, which worsen the climate crisis we are in.

As an athlete, when times got tough, I drew strength from mantras based on truth and logic. Toyota’s actions are ultimately illogical (their business will be destroyed by ecosystem collapse) and they are not being truthful. As they try to convince us that their hydrogen and hybrid cars are good for the environment, the hollowness and dishonesty of their Olympic slogan, “Start your Impossible” is revealed.

 It is impossible for the global road transport industry to start achieving net-zero emissions using petrol-hybrid, diesel-hybrid and hydrogen cars. All this does is to cause more climate chaos. They are simply using the splendour of the Olympics to hide the harm caused by their their hybrid and hydrogen vehicles.

Toyota, the world’s largest carmaker and one of the major polluting sponsors, is spending more than US$835 million for its eight-year deal with the IOC. This allows it to advertise that its 1,000-strong fleet of hybrid vehicles including the RAV4, Corolla TS, Yaris Cross, and Highlander are “electrified” vehicles, a claim which appears to be a deliberate attempt to blur the distinction between a polluting hybrid and fully-electric vehicles.

As an Olympic gold medallist, the competition that matters to me most these days is the protection of our planet. I urge sporting bodies like the International Olympic Committee to demonstrate true care and responsibility towards fans and athletes  by dropping sponsorship deals with polluting car brands such as Toyota. Better yet would be for Toyota not to make any more fossil-powered cars, shifting to true green ways of mobility such as electric cars. 

That would be a win for all of us!