The Paris 2024 organising committee has committed to making the upcoming Games the most environmentally friendly in Olympic history, aiming for a carbon footprint half that of London 2012 and Rio 2016. With London 2012 recording an estimated footprint of 3.3 million tonnes and Rio 2016 at 3.6 million tonnes, the sustainability efforts of Paris 2024 are under intense scrutiny, especially given the city’s role in hosting the 2015 climate commitments summit.
The organsing committee has announced some key initiatives like plant-based menus, tables made of shuttlecocks, and more. In an interview with BBC Sport Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said that sustainability is an issue “very close” to his heart. He said that climate change represents an “extremely serious threat, not only for sport but for all our lives. “This is why, with our Olympic agenda reforms, we undertook to tackle these issues by focusing on reducing our footprint,” he said.
Before London 2012, six new stadiums were constructed while Rio built 10 permanent venues and seven temporary ones. For Paris 2024, out of the 35 stadiums hosting events, only two are new purpose-built structures – an aquatics center and an arena for badminton and rhythmic gymnastics. These will use “low-carbon construction methods,” featuring seats made from “recycled local plastic waste” and wood throughout the construction according to the organisers.
The beds in the Tokyo 2020 athletes’ village, made from recycled cardboard, went viral when American runner Paul Chelimo jokingly claimed they were “aimed at avoiding intimacy among athletes” due to their potential to collapse under the weight of more than one person. This claim was debunked, and the same manufacturer is providing the beds for Paris 2024. The athletes’ area will also feature “coffee tables made from recycled shuttlecocks, poufs from parachute canvas, and chairs from recycled bottle tops,” according to organisers.
In addition to doubling the proportion of plant-based ingredients available to spectators and the workforce compared to London 2012 and Rio 2016, the organising committee has pledged to source 80% of ingredients from “local agriculture production” to reduce transport.
At previous Games, some stadiums relied on diesel generators for power. Paris organisers have promised to connect stadiums to the public electricity network, with these connections remaining in place beyond the Games.
Transportation between stadiums has been considered, with a 60km cycling network linking all Olympic venues, 30km of which has been built in preparation for the Games.
While there are numerous innovative ideas to make the games environment-friendly, challenges persist. Heat, overseas travel, and water pollution are among the major challenges. A University of Portsmouth report, “Rings of Fire,” warned about the effects of extreme heat on athletes, noting that average July and August temperatures have increased by 2.4°C and 2.7°C respectively over the past century. The Olympic Village was initially designed without air conditioning, but 2,500 temporary cooling units will now be installed due to heat concerns.
The biggest challenge for Paris in meeting its sustainability targets is likely to be spectator travel, which can account for about 80% of a sporting event’s emissions. London 2012 aimed to sell 75% of tickets to UK fans, whereas this year’s Olympics will be the first where tickets are sold centrally to fans worldwide, potentially increasing the number of international fans flying to the Games.
