Sport is an integral part of life and society and, as such, has repercussions that resonate much further than the immediate sporting sphere. Through sport, communities are created, industries and livelihoods are generated and well-being is enhanced.

As you have seen throughout this Annual Report, the sport is developing into new regions and there are multiple activities around the world to ensure this development is durable and sustainable.

Throughout this section, we take a look at some of the activities which are taking place alongside the sport, and further cementing our values and commitment to our fans and the global community equestrian.

We have selected three topics which reflect our commitment to our sport and society:

FEI Sustainability and Innovation / FEI Campus – Free Online Education for All / Fan Engagement – The Digital Journey of the FEI in 2019 

FEI Sustainability and Innovation  

2019 was a busy year for the FEI and the equestrian community when it came to sustainability and innovation – both on and off the field and in some of the most surprising ways. Here are some of the highlights.

In 2019, the FEI… 

… signed the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework

The FEI became a signatory to the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework in Lausanne (SUI) in May 2019, sending a strong signal to the sporting community of its commitment to introduce sustainable carbon reduction measures, not just at events worldwide, but also in Headquarters (HQ) operations.

The Framework, which calls for parties to “undertake systematic efforts to promote greater environmental responsibility”, was created by representatives of the global sports industry led by the IOC and the UN Climate Change secretariat. The FEI is represented in three of the five working groups of the sport for climate action signatories: reducing climate impact, sustainable consumption and educate & advocate for climate action.

It was launched in December 2018 during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 24) in Katowice (POL) with the aim of bringing together sports organisations, teams, athletes and fans in a concerted effort to raise awareness and action to meet the goals of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement.

… won the IOC-Dow Carbon Award

In October 2019, the FEI, along with nine other International Federations, was presented the IOC-Dow Carbon Award, an initiative aimed at boosting the Olympic Movement’s efforts to help accelerate climate action. As part of the award, the FEI received carbon offsets based on the information that was provided on the organisation’s annual carbon footprint, as well as its carbon reduction plans.

The footprint calculation was based on three major aspects:

• Flights for FEI staff and non-FEI staff on FEI-related travel for which we receive monthly carbon data from our travel partner, ATPI
• Road transport of event equipment
• All other material sent from the Lausanne HQ to NFs and any other direct recipient

In the future, footprint related to other HQ activities such as utilities consumption and employee commute will be included in the footprint calculations.

… continued to optimise waste management at Headquarters

• We completely eliminated disposable cutlery from day-to-day operations.
• Dishwashers are now only operated by housekeeping after office hours to minimise water consumption.
• We optimised waste management by improving material recycling through increased separation and avoiding waste types by eliminating their sources. There are no wastebaskets at individual desks. Each of the four floors now has recycling stations with residual, organic and paper wastebaskets.
• We installed Webex facilities in three of our biggest conference rooms so that large meetings can be via video conferencing rather than in-person.

Sustainability – a collective effort

The FEI Sustainability Handbook for Event Organisers was published in 2014 to encourage Event Organisers to implement sustainability initiatives that help reduce the negative environmental impact of their Events and create a positive social and economic legacy.

Sustainability initiatives at the Helsinki Horse Show and the Longines FEI European Championships Rotterdam 2019 were standout examples of organisers and local sponsors working together to create innovative projects to minimise an Event’s negative environmental impact.

Helsinki (FIN) International Horse Show

For the fifth year in a row, all the electricity used at the 2019 Helsinki International Horse Show, which hosted the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping qualifier, was generated entirely from horse manure. Over 150 megawatt hours of energy was created from the 100 tons of manure collected from competing horses during the four-day Event that took place in the Finnish capital in October.

The manure-to-energy system developed by Fortum, an international company specialising in electricity generation, heat production and waste recycling, met all the equestrian Event’s electricity needs, including lighting, scoreboards and cell phone charging stations. The surplus energy generated went back into the national grid to heat homes in the Helsinki area.

The Helsinki initiatives make a tremendous contribution, not just in terms of the value they deliver to equestrian sport, but also for the wider implications they have for local and regional communities. It clearly shows that the equestrian community is serious about its responsibility to preserve the environment – FEI President Ingmar De Vos

News spread fast, with broadcast and print media widely reporting on the manure-to-energy project in October 2019 and major news outlets on every continent carrying the story to achieve 720 million media impressions worldwide.

See for yourself…

FEI European Championships in Rotterdam (NED)

With food and beverage provisions at events forming a key criteria of the FEI Sustainability Handbook, the organisers of the Longines FEI European Championships in Rotterdam 2019 formed a unique partnership with local sponsor Rabobank on the Brasserie 2050 initiative.

The Dutch bank, one of the global leaders in food and agriculture financing, developed its Brasserie 2050 concept to showcase food that is sustainably sourced and healthy at major events to raise awareness and encourage behaviour change related to eating habits.

How did they do it?

• Dishes at the Brasserie 2050 are generally made with less meat and ingredients sourced locally to drastically reduce the meal’s carbon footprint
• The self-service concept included vegetarian tuna, bread made from potato peels and watermelon tartare, with each dish accompanied by a brief explanation of its sustainability credentials
• The restaurant itself was made from recyclable materials and powered by a rechargeable battery

As part of its Sustainability plan, the Organisers also introduced initiatives to ensure the protection of the surrounding forested area and its bat population, and introduced a muck recycling programme.

See for yourself…

Sustainability measures taken by FEI partners

The mindset and vision of the FEI’s commercial partners has also made a significant contribution to raising environmental consciousness in equestrian sport. Horse Pilot, a company that uses sustainable and environmentally friendly practices in its production and distribution of clothing, became the FEI’s Official Apparel Partner in April 2019. More than 80 per cent of the fabrics used by Horse Pilot come from eco-responsible manufacturers. The materials are developed in partnership with EUROJERSEY, which is committed to reducing its use of water, energy, waste and chemicals. Their choice of packaging materials is based on substances that are either recycled or not produced by the petrol industry. The company regularly visits garment factories to ensure that they are in line with labour laws and that all employees are receiving a fair wage.

Sustainability has also provided an avenue for the FEI to create stronger ties with existing partners like ATPI. As the FEI Travel Agent and FEI Travel Desk, ATPI has provided the FEI with a more accurate overview of the organisation’s travel related carbon footprint, which is a key step in identifying where emissions can be reduced and in establishing an offset portfolio.

FEI Campus – Free Online Education for All

 FEI Campus is a free of charge and cutting-edge e-learning platform with specific content and courses aimed at FEI Officials and stakeholders as well as varied and certified content for the public on all aspects of horsemanship.

2019 figures at a glance…

18,981 Users

Top 5 courses in 2019

1. Jumping – Course Designer Level 1
2. Jumping – CES Online Assessment – Jumping Stewards
3. Jumping – Judges Level 1
4. Equine Conformation – General conformation
5. Veterinary – CES Online Assessment

FEI Campus highlights 2019:

• 21 new courses
• Launch of 12 CES online assessments
• Launch of the FEI Campus Glossary 
• Platform upgrade to Moodle 3.5
• Horsemanship courses enriched with quizzes
• New explainer videos for Rule Changes with infographics and top tips

Want to know more?

Enrol free of charge on FEI Campus and benefit from a broad range of courses provided by experts!

Fan Engagement – FEI Digital Journey in 2019

Building a global fan base and promoting equestrian values is crucial when it comes to the long-term development of the sport. Through digital platforms and tools, we are able to reach more individuals than ever before, but we still need to get their attention and retain it, as the global sporting and entertainment industry is competing for the same audience!

The great news is that we are succeeding! In a post-WEG and pre-Olympic year, when it would be expected to be a little quiet, 2019 was actually a record-breaking year, outperforming 2018 hands down and taking fan engagement to a whole new level!

From our gifs to live streams and stories, we have increased our numbers, attracting and engaging more fans than ever before!

Video is king…

Horsemanship is key… some YouTube figures

Where would we be without our fans…

Hail the Giphy era…

That’s it from the FEI. Governing more than just a sport…