The Green Karate label is to appear on sustainable karate equipment ©WKF

The World Karate Federation (WKF) is launching the Green Karate project aiming to put the martial art at the forefront of sustainability in sport.

It seeks to promote the production and widespread use of sustainable karate equipment.

The WKF and its partners have pledged to produce karate equipment fabricated with at least 70 per cent recycled materials, thus making the sport greener. 

This move comes as a response to the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee's Olympic Agenda 2020+5, which stressed the urgency of achieving sustainable development in international sport.

"As a sport that combines tradition and innovation like no other, karate is launching the #GreenKarate project to become a champion in global social issues and the protection of the environment," WKF President Antonio Espinós said.

German sports brand Adidas is the first to join the Green Karate project.

It has already created the first sustainable karate-gi, a robe used by competitors, which is made of 100 per cent recycled materials.

This piece of equipment is the first to be labelled with the WKF-approved Green Karate label.

Elsewhere, the Green Karate initiative will aim to reduce the environmental footprint of karate events through the implementation of various sustainability factors. 

The WKF has not yet revealed any specific measures in this regard.

Karate made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 but is not on the programme for Paris 2024.