Paris Olympics poised to boost climate action

The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games are finally here, and away from the sporting activities, climate change enthusiasts will be keen on how it achieves less carbon footprints compared to previous ones.

With at least 800 Olympic sporting events, 15,000 athletes, 45,000 volunteers and 13 million meals, according to organisers, capping emissions at 1.75 million tonnes of carbon dioxide may look ambitious, but achievable. Comparable previous ones such as Tokyo 2020, Rio 2016 and London 2012 are estimated to have emitted an average of 3.5 million tonnes of CO2.

So what was France’s trick? Construction of new structures is usually expected for huge events. This is also when a lot of carbon emission happen.

According to the United Nations, the buildings and construction sector accounts for up to 37 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. This includes emissions that occur throughout the process of making materials such as cement, steel and aluminum.

Instead of building new structures for the Paris 2024 Olympics, France rehabilitated and repurposed most of its existing structures and will therefore be hosting up to 95 per cent of the events in existing or temporary facilities. The Stade de France, built for the 1998 football World Cup, is one of them. This will reduce the games’ carbon footprints.

Where the country has been forced to come up with new structures, as in the case of the Aquatics Centre in Saint-Denis, sustainable construction was observed, with its source of power being solar, and building materials natural bio-based, some were recycled.

Another new but green construction is the Athletes’ Village, powered by geothermal and solar energy. The village also prioritised biodiversity, creating room for birds and insects on its rooftops, with at least 9,000 trees planted to attract various species. And when the games end, the country plans to make the 2,800 Olympic apartment homes.

Athletes are not left out of efforts to make the Olympics a green affair. They will be sleeping on mattresses made from recycled fishing nets and reinforced cardboard bed bases.

This added to the city’s 1,000km of cycle lanes and 3,000 pay-as-you-go bikes, will help minimise use of motorised transport. Besides, most Olympic venues are easily accessible by public transport. The city vowed to minimise the amount of single-use plastic.

Other means through which such sporting events can be made greener include taking advantage of the need to increase fleets for transporting the huge number of visitors and investing in electric cars or buses and bike-sharing programmes to encourage long-term behavioral shifts toward more sustainable commuting habits among residents.

While the Paris Olympics has clearly shown love for biodiversity by creating room for birds and insects on rooftops, and planting 200,000 new trees in the streets, its green spaces such as parks, and urban forests will not only enhance the aesthetic appeal but also help to naturally reduce the urban heat island effect, improve stormwater management by absorbing rainfall, and provide more habitats for the urban wildlife.

Finally, the Paris 2024 Olympics and the global visibility it will enjoy provide a great platform to spread awareness of the climate crisis, even by just incorporating environmental themes into the opening and closing ceremonies.

The Olympics itself is not immune to effects of climate change. Post-Olympics 2024, the eye must stay on the ball back home, with small and big sporting events made to prioritise sustainability and pursue enhanced climate action. There are a million ways to kill this climate crisis monster. Sport has some answers.

The writer champions climate justice.