Sustainability
A bike race with green ambitions
Copenhagen Sprint works actively to make our cycling races sustainable and climate-responsible. We see the bicycle as a key to the mobility of the future – both as a sport, a means of transport and a community.
International recognition
For our efforts in 2025, we received the UCI Sustainability Award for developing a scalable model for climate-responsible sporting events, with tangible results from the very first edition.
Our green goals
✅ Promote cycling as a sport and transport
✅ Inspire citizens to green mobility
✅ Taking responsibility in the sport’s green transition
✅ Minimize the event’s carbon footprint – with proven results
We work on the basis of a 3-year plan, where 2025 was the starting point. Here are some of the concrete results we have already achieved:
| Focus area | Achievements (2025) |
|---|---|
| Reusable service | 23,750 pieces with high return rate |
| CO₂ reduction | 1,111 kg less emissions |
| Waste | 71 kg less waste |
| Green transport | 8,000+ public transport tickets sold |
Our 6 sustainable focus areas
Procurement and Suppliers
- Reduce – Reuse – Recycle as a basic principle
- Reuse of banners, fences and signs (without year)
- Washable reusable packaging for food and drink (collaboration with New Loop)
- Date-neutral materials with a focus on recycling
Food and drink
- Vegetarian and plant-based dishes in focus
- Local producers and reduced food waste
- Free water points for refills
- 90% organic in the food stalls (meat and dairy are 100% organic)
- Climate-friendly food and drink solutions as standard
Waste and recycling
- Maximum reuse of materials (e.g. upcycling of clothing for crew and volunteers)
- Sorting and high recycling
- Waste reduction of 71 kg through better handling
Transportation Vehicles
- 100% electric race cars
- Calling on the audience, participants and suppliers about green transport (bicycle, walking, public transport)
- Phasing out diesel generators
Energy
- Focus on energy savings and green solutions
Collaboration and Knowledge
- CO₂ calculations and evaluation for continuous improvements
- Sharing experiences with other organizers and partners
- Collaboration with Social Exemption Card, volunteers and local actors
UCI Sustainability Award
Our efforts have received attention beyond Denmark’s borders. In 2025, Copenhagen Sprint was awarded the UCI’s International Sustainability Award at the UCI Cycling for All Sustainability Awards in Athens.
The jury’s reasoning:
“Copenhagen Sprint has been developed as a scalable model for climate-responsible event execution. From the very first edition, sustainability was integrated across the entire event, and the results serve as a documented baseline for future improvements.”
The award is a recognition of the joint work with partners, municipalities, suppliers, volunteers and teams – and proof that sporting events can help lead the way for sustainability.
Social Sustainability
Our sustainability is not just about the climate – also about people:
- Collaboration with citizens on Social Exemption Card for waste management
- Use of volunteers as officials
- Requirements for decent working conditions for suppliers
- Inclusive people’s bike races – everyone must be able to participate
The Future: 2026 and Beyond
“We are still new, and we are far from perfect. But we learn and improve year by year. It requires collaboration and knowledge sharing if we are to create more sustainable events in the future.” — Freja Fischer-Møller, Head of Event Delivery
- Building on the experience from 2025 2026
- Goal: An annual international cycling race in Copenhagen with continuous reduction of environmental impact
- New initiatives on the way – follow along on this page!
Sustainability collaboration
A sustainable collaboration with New Loop
New Loop is born circular with a clear vision: to reduce the use of single-use packaging and reduce the carbon footprint. We are working towards a future where packaging does not become waste after one use, but is part of an efficient cycle where it can be reused again and again — and eventually reused into new products.
We offer a simple and environmentally friendly solution for companies, cafés and events that want an alternative to disposable cups and tableware. With our circular deposit and return system, we take care of the entire process: delivery, collection, payment of deposit and washing of cups, mugs and tableware, so that it can easily be used again in a closed loop.
In this way, we help our customers reduce waste, save resources and take an active step towards a more responsible and circular business.
Thank you for helping to reduce resource consumption in Denmark.
Copenhagen Sprint x Heartbeat Studio
From banner to meaning
At Heartbeat Studio, we believe that materials have more than one life.
In collaboration with Copenhagen Sprint, we have transformed used event banners into unique bags, and given the materials their second life.
The bags are designed and produced in our studio in Bording, where we work every day to give surplus materials new value through circular design. No two bags are the same: colours, graphic details and traces of their past lives make each one a small piece of event history.
The collaboration is therefore about more than creating a product. It’s about showing how events can be thought of more circularly and how surplus materials can be transformed into meaningful products with real environmental and social significance.
Circularity is also not bound by geography. If we are to create real change, the solutions must be global. Materials should not be sent around the world unnecessarily to get their second life. Instead, they must be transformed where they arise. Therefore, we develop circular solutions both locally and internationally, always with respect for the material and the context in which it is used.
When you carry the bag forward in everyday life, you not only carry memories from the event, but also concrete proof that responsible choices can be integrated into even the biggest events.
Want to read more about Heartbeat Studio and our