Sustainability and the 2024 Paris Olympics

Whenever a company, event or organiser claims to be 'the most sustainable yet,' it usually elicits one of two reactions:...

Whenever a company, event or organiser claims to be 'the most sustainable yet,' it usually elicits one of two reactions: applause or eye rolls.   

It's easy to make eco-friendly claims but much harder to ensure they can withstand scrutiny, especially when the event is international and attended by thousands of athletes and millions of visitors. Organisers have clearly considered sustainability, promising that the Paris Games will have half the carbon footprint of London, which recorded 3.3 million tons back in 2012.   

Of course, the IOC, the Olympics' governing body, has a vested interest in reducing its environmental impact. Rising global temperatures threaten athletes' health and could undermine future events. The Conversation writes that the International Olympic Committee still needs to allocate host cities for the Winter Games for 2030 and beyond, as there's no guarantee those selected will have the snow and cold weather conditions required to stage the games. China had to rely heavily on artificial snow when it hosted in 2022.

So, how is the 2024 Paris Olympics trying to be sustainable?   

Paris 2024 will primarily use pre-existing venues. This reduces the environmental and financial impact associated with extensive construction. Previous host cities have sometimes struggled to use venues and stadiums once the Games are over. Several sports fields, swimming pools, and media centres explicitly built for the Athens 2004 and Rio 2016 Games are now derelict and unused. For sustainability, the Games must consist of more than just sixteen days of competition and showmanship. They should also have a positive legacy that lasts well beyond the closing ceremony. 
 
While the Paris organisers have built a new Aquatics Centre and venues for Rhythmic Gymnastics, Badminton, and an Olympic Village, they've kept sustainability in mind. The Aquatics Centre has a solar panel roof, seats made from recycled plastic bottle caps, and outdoor air filtration. Several facilities have also been temporarily assembled and will be dismantled for use again in the future.   

The Olympic Village was built with 94% of ex-construction materials, has a geothermal cooling system, and boasts 1,000 large and almost 8,000 young trees. You've probably seen on the news that the beds the athletes are sleeping in are made from recycled cardboard, while the coffee tables are made from recycled shuttlecocks.   

Each medal also contains 18 grams of original iron from the Eiffel Tower. The metal has been kept from previous restoration campaigns to 'highlight the circular economy messaging'.  

Organisers have also paid £1.2 billion to clean up the River Seine, which was previously too polluted to swim in. Although, there has been some debate about how safe the water is, especially following heavy rainstorms.     

The Paris Metro has been extended to ensure that all events are accessible by public transport. 80% of the venues will also be within 10 kilometres (about 6.21 miles) of the Olympic Village.

The Games are also touted to be entirely powered by renewable energy, negating the need to attach to diesel generators as has happened at previous Olympics like London. Solar panels have also been installed on the roof of the Aquatics Centre and the Olympic Village. Geothermal cooling systems will also be used rather than traditional—and energy-intensive—air conditioning.   

80% of food will be locally sourced, and twice the number of plant-based products will be available. 100% of uneaten food will also be recycled. Free drinking water points for reusable bottles will also be available to spectators and visitors.  
 
90% of the signage used around the games is recycled or reused.   

One of the biggest criticisms of the Paris Games is the number of people flying into the city. Scientific American quotes a Greenly study that found carbon dioxide-related aviation emissions could be as much as 837,000 tons, more than half of total emissions for the entire Games.   

Dezeen also writes that while the Paris Olympics will use half the single-use plastic of London, the main sponsor, Coca-Cola, is still using single-use plastics for its bottles. But Science Daily goes further, criticising Coca-Cola as a choice of sponsor, given that it's the world's biggest producer of branded plastic waste. It also questions how sustainable an international event can be when a coral reef was damaged in Tahiti during the construction of an unnecessary tower for the Olympic Surfing Competition. 

And while talk about Olympic sustainability has been amplified in recent years, one study found 'Environmental follow-through has actually diminished over time.' Investigating the sustainability of 16 different Olympic Games from 1992 through 2020, it found that the least sustainable Olympics—the Sochi 2014, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and London 2012 Games—were all recent.

While Paris has much to be applauded for, it still begs the question of why so many environmentally questionable brands can become major sponsors at the Games. The sheer volume of carbon emissions created by international air travel is also concerning but seemingly unavoidable, given the global community ethos that the Games celebrate and uphold.  
 
It will be interesting to see what Paris's legacy will be once it's all over and whether future host cities can emulate and improve upon the 2024 Games while delivering an equally spectacular sixteen days of sport.  

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