The UIAA – International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation – and the global technology powerhouse Lenovo have signed a two-year partnership.
“We are delighted to embark on this partnership with Lenovo, a hugely successful, dynamic and innovative company whose technology is used throughout the world. We look forward to working with Lenovo across a number of sustainability initiatives as we continue our journey in leading on climate issues related to the mountains and in particular those impacting climbing and mountaineering. Lenovo’s own commitment to tackling climate related issues is impressive and aligns with the vision of the UIAA. I would like to thank the Chinese Mountaineering Association and UIAA Executive Committee member Yongfeng Wang for their support in helping establish this partnership.”
UIAA President Peter Muir
“Lenovo is honoured to join forces with the UIAA in a partnership that stands at the intersection of technology, innovation and sustainability. At Lenovo, we have always believed in the power of technology to create a more sustainable and inclusive world. The UIAA’s dedication to safety, education, environmental protection, and the promotion of responsible mountaineering aligns perfectly with our core values. Together, we look forward to a future where our combined efforts will not only elevate the sport of climbing and mountaineering but also contribute to the greater environmental protection and the advancement of sustainable practices worldwide.”
Qiao Song, Senior Vice President of Lenovo
The partnership officially commenced at the 2024 UIAA General Assembly held in Malta from 8-9 November. As part of the agreement, Lenovo will partner a number of UIAA sustainability initiatives including the 2024 Climate Change Summit (held annually at the UIAA General Assembly), 2024 International Mountain Day activities (on 11 December) and most significantly will be the exclusive partner in the field of electronic products for the UIAA Mountain Protection Award (MPA).
The MPA was launched in 2013 as the UIAA’s flagship project in sustainability. The Award platform promotes and supports projects that seek to protect mountain ecosystems and engage climbers and mountaineers in a direct and positive way. The Award platform also welcomes sustainable mountain tourism initiatives which directly support and benefit the lives of mountain communities. The MPA returns in 2025 after a hiatus in 2024 as the UIAA Mountain Protection Commission worked on restructuring the Award.
The registration portal for the 2025 MPA will open on 1 March. A number of new developments have been made during the restructuring including:
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- Application process: any organisation with a project combining mountain sports and a focus on sustainability and/or climate action can apply for the award.
- Frequency: The Award will enter a two-year cycle from 2025 onwards, with the “off-year” focusing on community building among MPA projects.
- Prize: The MPA winner will be crowned in Q4 of 2025, with an award ceremony location and date still to be defined. Information about the prize itself will be released in due course.
Lenovo products are renowned for their innovation and robustness. Throughout the past few seasons, Lenovo technology has been used flawlessly during the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour by teams of judges, officials and media and in some of the world’s coldest environments.
Lenovo has made a significant commitment to sustainability and measuring its own impact. The company is committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and is the first PC and smartphone maker to have net-zero targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. In parallel, Lenovo has committed “to minimize our carbon footprint, we follow a structured approach. This includes a climate and energy policy, net-zero long-term climate change strategy, and key objectives and targets to meet.”
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a US$57 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #248 in the Fortune Global 500, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver Smarter Technology for All, Lenovo has built on its success as the world’s largest PC company with a full-stack portfolio of AI-enabled, AI-ready, and AI-optimized devices (PCs, workstations, smartphones, tablets), infrastructure (server, storage, edge, high performance computing and software defined infrastructure), software, solutions, and services. Lenovo’s continued investment in world-changing innovation is building a more equitable, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. Lenovo is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange under Lenovo Group Limited (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY). To find out more visit https://www.lenovo.com, and read about the latest news via our StoryHub.
About the UIAA
The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) was founded in 1932 and, as of its 2023 General Assembly, has a global presence on six continents representing 94 member associations and federations in 72 countries.
The UIAA fulfils its Mission Statement mainly through the work of its Commissions, which make recommendations, set policy and advocate on behalf of the international mountaineering community. UIAA Commissions are comprised of experts in their field.
The UIAA operates through the following Commissions:
Anti-Doping / Legal Affairs / Medical / Mountaineering / Mountain Protection / Safety / Training / Youth / World Ice Climbing (as an Operating Unit)
As the leading global network, we promote climbing and mountaineering and advocate for access to climbing areas and mountain ranges. While looking to our future, we value our heritage and care for the mountains, their fragile ecosystems, vulnerable communities and cultures. We serve the best interests of our member federations and of our worldwide community.
The UIAA has been recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 1995 as the international federation representing mountaineering and climbing.
