(May 22, 2025) - World Taekwondo has successfully offset its carbon emissions for 2023 as part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability. The federation continues to take meaningful steps to reduce its environmental impact while working collaboratively with stakeholders to implement sustainable competition management.
2023 Carbon Footprint and Offsetting
For the year 2023, World Taekwondo’s total carbon footprint amounted to 303.26 tonnes of CO₂, with emissions distributed as follows:
As in 2022, travel remained the dominant source of emissions, with 76% of total emissions coming from air travel. To address this, World Taekwondo has been prioritizing reductions in travel-related emissions while ensuring the continued growth and development of the sport.
World Taekwondo has offset its 2023 emissions through 304 Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Registry. The credits were sourced from the BRT Zhengzhou, China project, supporting sustainable urban transport initiatives that contribute to global emissions reductions.
Progress on Emission Reductions Since 2022
World Taekwondo’s overall emissions in 2023 were lower than in 2022, partly due to changes in the event calendar. With more WT-promoted events taking place in China and Korea, there was a natural reduction in long-haul travel compared to the previous year. While this shift contributed to lower travel-related emissions, World Taekwondo remains committed to actively identifying opportunities for further reductions in the future.
Looking Ahead: Sustainable Competition Management
Moving forward, World Taekwondo will continue to focus on reducing emissions across its operations, with a particular emphasis on sustainable competition management. This initiative will involve collaboration with competition organizers and Member National Associations (MNAs) to identify and minimize unnecessary emissions linked to World Taekwondo’s promoted international events, as a first step.
In an initial phase World Taekwondo is seeking input from competition organizers to develop a tool with guidelines and corresponding operational requirements to assist competition organizers in integrating sustainability principles into their events. The aim is not only to reduce emissions but also to promote positive social impacts within host communities.
A Collaborative Approach to Sustainability
By working closely with MNAs and competition organizers, World Taekwondo is taking a collaborative approach to sustainability, ensuring that environmental responsibility is embedded across all levels of the sport. The federation remains committed to driving innovation and best practices in sustainable event management while continuing to offset unavoidable emissions.
World Taekwondo recognizes that reducing its carbon footprint is an ongoing journey, and this year’s focus on sustainable competition management reflects its dedication to long-term environmental responsibility.
Stay tuned for updates on the development of the sustainability tool and ongoing efforts to make World Taekwondo events more environmentally and socially sustainable.
