As France gears up to host the Paris 2024 Olympicsit aims to hold the most eco-friendly Games ever. The organising committee has committed to reducing the event’s carbon emissions by 50 per cent, lowering them from around 3.5 million tonnes at Tokyo 2020, Rio 2016, and London 2012, to 1.75 million tonnes for the upcoming Games.
Eco-friendly efforts by France
Paris 2024 will rely on renewable energy sources, including geothermal and solar power. All Olympic venues are conveniently reachable via public transportation. Paris will implement special services to facilitate smooth travel for tourists. Additionally, the city has created 1,000 km of exclusive bicycle lanes and will offer 3,000 rentable bikes throughout the Games.
Paris 2024 is aiming to advocate for plant-based, locally-sourced, and sustainable food options. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the meat and dairy sectors contribute to 18 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Additionally, all food-related infrastructures created for the Games will be repurposed following the Olympics.
Unlike London, which developed eight new facilities for the Olympics, and Tokyo, which added 11 new locations, Paris will use existing structures or temporary setups for 95 per cent of its Olympic events. The Aquatics Centre in Saint-Denis, one of the new venues under construction, features solar power and is built with recycled, natural bio-based materials.
Worldwide, the construction sector is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 37 per cent of the total.
Due to the sweltering heat in Paris, organisers have had to set up 2,500 temporary cooling units for the athletes, moving away from the initial plan to go without air conditioning. Despite this, the accommodations for athletes remain relatively minimalistic.
Their mattresses are crafted from recycled fishing nets, and their beds are constructed from sturdy cardboard.
Much of the furniture used during the Games is leased rather than purchased, and it will be repurposed after the Olympics. The 2,800 newly built apartments in the Olympic Village will be transformed into residential homes once the event concludes.
Not entirely environmentally friendly
The 2024 Olympics will host around 15,000 athletes, 45,000 volunteers, and 26,000 media representatives. Paris expects hosting over 10 million visitors throughout the Games. This influx will result in significant air travel and, as a result, substantial greenhouse gas emissions.
The Games organisers have said that Paris 2024 has “developed a funding programme for projects aimed at avoiding and capturing carbon emissions, which will aim to offset unavoidable Games-related emissions”.
Offsetting allows individuals or organisations to ‘compensate’ for their environmental impact by investing in initiatives like tree planting and forest restoration projects. Despite these challenges, the Paris 2024 Olympics will be the most ‘environmentally conscious’ Games ever held, offering a model for future major sporting events.
First Published: Jul 26 2024 | 10:42 AM IS