French Surfer Vahiné Fierro Appointed Panasonic Sustainability Ambassador

Surfer will make her Olympic debut at the 2024 Summer Games and work alongside Panasonic to highlight the need for increased global sustainability.

Wiesbaden, DE. 20^th May 2024 – Panasonic has announced that Tahitian surfer, Vahiné Fierro, has joined Team Panasonic as a Sustainability Ambassador. Ahead of her Olympic debut at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Vahiné’s partnership will raise awareness and unite people towards the common goal of protecting and safeguarding the planet.

Vahiné is from the French Polynesian island of Huahine, northwest of Tahiti – the host venue for surfing at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Surfing since the age of two, Vahiné was the first Tahitian woman to win a World Surf League World Junior Title in Australia in 2018, and Surfer Magazine’s Best Barrel (Women) Award in 2019. She secured Olympic qualification in 2023, representing France.

Vahiné is the latest addition to a team of world-class athletes that share the same passion for sustainability, including Team Panasonic European athletes Hannah Cockroft, Malaika Mihambo, and Hannah Mills. Vahiné is also an ambassador for Coral Gardeners, which is revolutionising oceanic conservation by replanting corals that have been affected by global warming.

Panasonic provides Team Panasonic athletes with funding to support their sporting ambitions, whilst helping to highlight their sustainability and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) advocacy efforts. Their work educates, inspires, and helps others to address environmental and social issues that are important to them.

"My interest in protecting our planet was first sparked at the age of 17, when I met fellow surfers who were passionate about preservation of the ocean. I therefore couldn’t be prouder and more honoured to be working with Panasonic. It’s a company that is working really hard to address climate change and sustainability."

Panasonic’s GREEN IMPACT initiative is at the heart of Panasonic’s business strategy. By making its value chain more sustainable and developing industry-leading low-carbon technology, Panasonic aims to reduce and avoid CO2 emissions by more than 300 million tons by 2050^[1].

^[1]^{33.6 billion tons of energy-related CO2 emissions in 2019 (Source: IEA)}

"Vahiné is a world class surfer. We are very happy to support her in the lead-up to the Olympic Games Paris 2024; we share the same values with regards to respecting the planet and the need to address climate change. Panasonic GREEN IMPACT is not just a project or campaign, but a long-term commitment. And it is through world-class athletes like Vahiné that we can drive and sustain awareness of the importance of sustainability, both today and for many years to come."

Click for more information about Panasonic GREEN IMPACT Click for more information about Panasonic as a Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner