This winter, the IBU and its Climate Partner Viessmann are transforming sporting success into tangible environmental action with the 'Forest of Champions' project.

Throughout the 2025/26 season, every ceremony position at IBU events will contribute directly to reforestation at Untersberg in the region of Marktschellenberg. One tree seedling will be planted for each athlete or team attending the ceremonies across the IBU World Cup, IBU Cup, Junior Cup and Para Biathlon World Cup.

With the latest tree ranking now confirmed after the second trimester of the 2025/26 season, France continues to lead the standings with 229 trees earned through top 6 performances, followed by Norway (116) and Germany (112). Sweden (97), Ukraine (79) and Italy (67) complete the rankings top six, underlining the strong competitive balance across nations while collectively contributing to the program’s environmental legacy. A total of 24 nations have so far contributed to the project through their performances.

The second trimester saw the project's successful official launch at the BMW IBU World Cup in Ruhpolding where the top six athletes at both the women’s and men’s sprint competitions were presented with symbolic wooden trees by Climate Partner Viessmann. These occasions highlighted the tangible connection between sporting excellence and climate action, reinforcing the Forest of Champions’ mission to turn podium success into a lasting green legacy for biathlon and beyond.