Going for the E-S-Gold: Home of the Paris Agreement Hosts the Olympics

With global attention focused on Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad), the event organizers have used the opportunity to highlight efforts to make the games more sustainable. While there have been some setbacks, particularly regarding pollution in the Seine River and a reversal on using air conditioners in the Olympic Village, the Paris Olympics have won overall high marks for being environmentally friendly.

The Paris Agreement, signed in 2016, remains the most comprehensive international climate treaty to date, with 196 parties adopting goals to limit global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. With this in mind, organizers of the Paris Olympics set ambitious targets to limit the carbon footprint of construction and operations for the 2024 event to half of the emissions at the 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio Olympics.

As detailed in one of our Top Stories from CleanLink, the organizers put in place several measures to reduce emissions. These included powering the events’ operations with 100% renewable energy, prohibiting diesel generators, limiting the number of new buildings, using low-carbon concrete and recycled materials for any construction needed, using seats made of recycled plastic, and ensuring that all furniture and temporary buildings have a guaranteed second life.

Climate change is now top of mind for many major sporting events like the Olympics and FIFA World Cup, with organizers needing to carefully select host cities and time periods to avoid problems caused by extreme heat, particularly for winter sports. As reported in Virginia Mercury, uncertainty about conditions for winter sports caused the International Olympic Committee to delay the selection of host cities for future Winter Games. FIFA moved the 2022 Men’s World Cup from June to November to avoid extreme heat at the host country Qatar.

Athletes have also expressed concerns about the threats posed to competitors by climate change. Ahead of the Paris Olympics, The British Association for Sustainable Sport (BASIS) issued its Rings of Fire II report in which elite athletes from 15 sports, along with leading climate scientists and thermal physiologists, discussed the risks and outlined recommendations to safeguard athletes.

In addition to event organizers and athletes, sports businesses such as clothing and equipment brands are also recognizing the risks posed by climate change and are responding by promoting sustainable business practices. According to ISPO, which holds the world’s largest trade fair annually in Munich for sporting goods and sportswear, brands are using eco-friendly materials and reducing carbon footprints through energy-efficient manufacturing.

The fast-moving, multi-billion business of international sports will continue to adapt to the challenges posed by climate change. Our team at G&A will stay on top of trends in the industry that can serve as examples to guide all businesses on your sustainability journey, staying true to the Olympic motto “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together.”

This is just the introduction of G&A's Sustainability Highlights newsletter this week. Click here to view the full issue.