The World Karate Federation (WKF) has taken a significant leap towards sustainability with the 2024 World Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships in Venice-Jesolo, Italy, marking the sport’s first fully sustainable event. This championship aligns with the WKF’s dedication to environmental responsibility through its “Green Karate” initiative, which started in 2022 and continues to shape the future Karate as a sustainable discipline.

The WKF initiated its Green Karate project in 2022, following the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Agenda 2020+5 and in line with the core values of Karate. The initiative represents WKF’s commitment to making karate a sport that respects the environment and aims to inspire other sports organisations globally. Since its inception, seven official WKF brands have joined the movement.

The Green Karate initiative engaged the WKF partners in creating karategis with at least 70% recycled materials. Each sustainable uniform bears the Green Karate label, signifying its eco-friendly design and role in reducing environmental impact.

A Fully Sustainable Event in Venice-Jesolo

Following the success of the WKF “Green Karate” initiative, the 2024 WKF Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships, held in Venice-Jesolo in October, have marked a new era in sustainability in Karate. For this event, the WKF partnered with the Italian Federation of Judo, Wrestling, Karate, and Martial Arts (FIJLKAM), to implement groundbreaking green practices at the event.

#KarateJesolo2024, the first fully sustainable event in Karate 

One of the event’s standout sustainable achievements was the debut of the Green Karate Tatami, developed by Trocellen. The ProGame Green Karate tatami mat by Trocellen features a unique three-layer design with a bio-based core made from polyethene derived from sugar cane waste. This innovation reduces CO2 emissions by 20% compared to previous models, a crucial advancement in eco-friendly sports equipment. All competition and warm-up mats at the event in Venice-Jesolo used the new tatami, showcasing a high level of safety and comfort alongside its sustainable attributes.

The event's green efforts did not stop with Green Karate uniforms and tatamis. Organisers introduced recycled wood for all banners, dividers, coaches’ boxes, and tables, making this the first karate event to incorporate recycled wood into its setup. The introduction of wood in the structures of the event contributes highly to the sustainability of the tournament as it eliminates the use of plastic and eco-invasive materials on the field of play. It also minimized waste, reducing the need for new material production and disposal, and promoting the use of renewable resources.

In addition, the championship was entirely plastic-free, with local organisers distributing metal bottles to replace disposable plastic containers and four purified water stations installed, thus encouraging attendees to refill their personal bottles, which significantly reduced plastic bottle waste throughout the event. Additionally, the catering services exclusively used compostable materials, eliminating single-use plastics entirely. Paper usage was kept to a minimum, and only recycled paper was used throughout the event.

The ProGame Green Karate tatami mat by Trocellen

Moreover, most of the structures and materials used at the event will be repurposed for the upcoming Youth League event, held annually in December also in Jesolo. This forward-thinking approach will help optimise resources and significantly reduce the waste generated by these recurring events.

With the success of the Green Karate karategis and tatamis, WKF is setting its sights on additional eco-friendly equipment. Karate’s international governing body plans to introduce “green” protective gear by 2025, which will complete the range of sustainable karate equipment.

Davide Benetello, president of the Karate sector of FIJLKAM said:

“All the sustainability efforts implemented at the event reflect the organising committee’s strong commitment to environmentally conscious practices, and it sets a high standard for future WKF events. FIJLKAM and Multisport SRLSD succeeded in blending world-class competition with sustainable initiatives, demonstrating that high-quality sports events can indeed coexist with responsible environmental practices. We hope that these initiatives will inspire other sports organizations, reinforcing WKF’s mission to promote a sport that not only builds physical and mental strength but also respects the planet.”

Recycled wood used at the event. 

WKF President Antonio Espinós said:

“Our commitment to environmental responsibility is an extension of karate’s core values. Through Green Karate, we have initiated a new era in the sustainability of our sport, and we aim to be an example for all sports organisations worldwide, showing that sustainability and sporting spirit can go hand in hand.”

“I also want to express all our gratitude to FIJLKAM and specifically Davide Benetello, President of the Karate Sector at FIJLKAM, for their leadership and courage in bringing these initiatives to life and putting the 2024 World Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships in Venice-Jesolo in the annals of our sport as the first fully sustainable event.

“I am convinced that through these initiatives, we can put our values into action and we can make a positive difference for the planet and set a precedent for future tournaments worldwide.”

A new era of Karate was initiated at #KarateJesolo2024

The mascot of the event with the Green Tatami by Trocellen.