Heatwave, thunderstorms, storms: the Olympic Games threatened by climate change

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The pinnacle of athletic achievement, the Olympic Games are now facing an unexpected adversary: climate change. This global phenomenon imposes new constraints on the organizers of these international sporting events. The overwhelming heat waves, bad weather and other meteorological upheavals put to the test not only the endurance of the athletes, but also the sustainability of certain Olympic disciplines.

The threat of global warming on competitions

The impact of global warming on the world of sport is becoming increasingly evident. The governing bodies of the Olympic Games, like those governing the Football World Cup (FIFA), are forced to adapt their schedules and arrangements to cope with sometimes excessive temperatures.

The 2021 Tokyo edition was a perfect illustration of this: faced with stifling heat, the authorities had no choice but to relocate the marathon event to Sapporo, located more than 800 km south of the Japanese capital, in order to benefit from a more clement.

Similarly, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was postponed to the fall period to avoid the summer heat of the desert.

This concern is not limited to summer sports. Winter sports are also threatened by these climatic upheavals. Thus, during the Beijing Olympics in 2022, the massive use of artificial snow to maintain the ski competitions highlighted the growing vulnerability of cold seasons in the face of global warming.

This unprecedented situation even led the International Olympic Committee to postpone its decision on the choice of host cities for the 2030 Winter Games, as climate uncertainty hangs over the future of these events.

Towards more sustainable Olympic Games

Faced with the emergency ecological, the Olympic movement strives to breathe an eco-responsible dimension into its organization. Since 1996,the notion of sustainability has become a fundamental axis of the Olympic charter, encouraging organizers to minimize the carbon footprint of these sporting events.

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The 2012 London Olympics was a pioneer in establishing the ISO2012 standard, an international benchmark aimed at guiding major events towards more environmentally friendly choices.

The 2024 Paris edition fully embodies this desire to combine sporting excellence and respect for the planet. This edition aims to halve emissions from the construction and operation of infrastructure, compared to previous editions in London and Rio.

To achieve this, the organizers have focused on a full supply of renewable energy and prioritize the use of recycled materials. Thousands of seats made from recycled plastic will be installed, while accessibility to competition venues by public transport will be optimized to limit the use of individual vehicles.

Athletes' housing will be designed to be reused after the Games, converted into social or student housing, or into sports areas. All work related to the Games will be used to improve the host neighborhoods, by creating new green spaces, renovating existing infrastructure and promoting soft modes of transport. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are therefore positioned as a a true laboratory of experimentation.

Reinventing the organization of the Olympic Games is today the mandatory condition to ensure their sustainability and that of the disciplines they showcase. By placing sustainability at the heart of their strategy, the Olympic Games have the opportunity not only to reduce their ecological impact, but also to play a central role in raising public awareness of climate issues. But let's be realistic: the Olympics will never be a zero-carbon or even eco-friendly event because of their global scale and the logistical complexity they impose.

• Climate change is imposing new constraints on the Olympic Games, affecting both summer and winter competitions.
• The 2024 Olympic Games are incorporating sustainable practices, aiming to reduce their carbon footprint through the use of renewable energy and recycled materials.
• While the Olympic Games cannot be completely green, they play a vital role in raising awareness of climate issues and in driving innovation in sustainability.

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