Sustainability Looks to Win at Paris Olympics

While much of the attention at this Paris Olympics not surprisingly revolves around the athletes and their many roads to glory, the Olympics has also become a showcase for the latest technology, marketing, and business trends. With sustainability and the control of greenhouse gas emissions on the minds of many, it is not surprising that the International Olympics Committee, the group responsible for much of the planning and amentationion of Olympic events, has taken an active role in trying to make the Olympics as much of an environmentally sustainable event as possible.

While companies of all sizes and in many different industries are looking at sustainability, improving the carbon footprint of a massive event such as the Olympics is not easy, given the sheer volume of people that need to be handled, the vast number of facilities, and the need to give participants and spectators alike a good experience while ensuring safety and comfort.

It is thus not surprising that the groundwork for sustainability measures was laid four years ago, when the IOC (International Olympic Committee) developed a strategic roadmap to make future Olympics more sustainable while aligning with the environmental and cost goals of host cities. The Paris 2024 Olympics bores some of the results from that planning.

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According to the IOC, this year’s games are slated to cut the carbon footprint by 50% compared to the London 2012 and Rio 2016 average, aligning with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. 

Using Existing Venues

While many past Olympics events used newly constructed stadiums, the Paris Olympics have emphasized using existing venues. These include the 80,000-seat Stade de France in Saint-Denis – home to athletics, Para athletics and rugby sevens – to the Saint-Quentin Velodrome, which will host the cycling events. According to the IOC, 95% of Olympic venues are facilities that either already exist or have been temporarily assembled and will be dismantled for future reuse after the Games.

The 80,000 seat Stade de France stadium is housing a number of Olympic events. (FRANCOIS GUILLOT / Staff/ AFP/Via Getty Images)

The facilities themselves use sustainable materials. For instances, the Aquatics Center housing swimming and diving events features a 4,680 sq. metre solar panel roof, that supplies 20% of the venue's electricity needs. The seats made from recycled plastic bottle caps, and biosourced materials such as French wood comprise the frame and structure. A concave roof naturally heats the air, controls humidity levels, and reduces the amount of space requiring heating. The facility designers also had 102 trees planted to create green spaces, provide shade and attract animal species.

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Green Olympic Village

The showcase Olympic Village facility also is designed with sustainability in mind. According to the IOC, 94% of the materials were recovered from deconstruction. Construction materials included wood and recycled plastic, with all wood sourced from eco-managed forests, including a minimum of 30% French wood. The Village also used a geothermal cooling system rather than air conditioning. Insulated facades, cooling floors and green spaces help maintain a temperature difference of at least 6◦C compared to outdoor conditions.

Plant-based Food, Free Drinking Water

Feeding the Olympic sites’ athletes and patrons also took into account green practices. The amount of plant-based food is being doubled to halve the carbon footprint of meals. Other measures include a 50% reduction in single-use plastics in catering, reusing all the catering equipment and infrastructure after the Games, installing beverage fountains by Worldwide Olympic Partner Coca-Cola, and the availability of free drinking water points will be available.

Greener Transportation

Because of the enormous carbon footprint generated by transporting athletes, workers, and spectators to and from the Olympic venue as well as within in, the IOC also instituted a number of measures to reduce carbon emissions from transportation. For one, all the Olympic locations were accessible by public transportation. An extensive network of bicycle lanes and bicycle parking facilities were provided, as well as a fleet of electric, hybrid, and hydrogen-powered vehicles from Toyota.