The Olympic Games to be held in Paris in 2024 will be the “first sporting event in the world” to have a positive impact on the climate, according to the Paris 2024 board of directors, which approved its climate strategy in mid-March. EURACTIV France reports.
The committee in charge of organising the Summer Olympics and the Paralympic Games is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) linked to the events. It wants to support projects with a positive contribution to the climate and mobilise stakeholders to maximise their positive impact on climate in the long term, according to a press release published by Paris 2024.
“The main objective of Paris 2024 is to avoid and reduce GHG emissions related to the event,” the statement said. The committee hopes to achieve this objective through a range of actions, including the use of renewable energies for all event venues accessible by public transport, a sustainable catering plan, and the use of temporary, low-carbon sports facilities.
“In total, Paris 2024 will reduce event-related emissions by 50% compared to previous editions of the Games,” the organising committee confirmed.
However, this ambition alone will not be enough to make the 2024 Olympics even a carbon-neutral event, which is why the committee is “committed to offsetting all emissions that cannot be avoided by supporting CO2 prevention and capture projects,” the press release added.
While Paris 2024 intends to invest in international projects, it also hopes to contribute to the development of local projects because these would be “essential in the fight against climate change and provide other benefits, such as protecting biodiversity or improving the quality of life of citizens”.
In order to achieve its ambitions, Paris 2024 also said it wants to “ensure that the Games serve as a platform to accelerate climate action at the local level.” To this end, the committee will “share tools and methodologies to change habits and guide stakeholders” in reducing their carbon emissions.
For example, the committee has launched its “Climate Coach” app, which has been designed to help employees reduce their personal and professional carbon footprint.
By 2022, Paris 2024 also wants to create a ‘carbon footprint calculator’ for sports events that will be made available to the industry in order to “encourage its business partners and suppliers to apply sustainability and carbon neutrality criteria to 100% of its procurement for the Games” as part of its ‘responsible procurement strategy’.
[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]
“The main objective of Paris 2024 is to avoid and reduce GHG emissions related to the event,” the statement said. The committee hopes to achieve this objective through a range of actions, including the use of renewable energies for all event venues accessible by public transport, a sustainable catering plan, and the use of temporary, low-carbon sports facilities.
“In total, Paris 2024 will reduce event-related emissions by 50% compared to previous editions of the Games,” the organising committee confirmed.
However, this ambition alone will not be enough to make the 2024 Olympics even a carbon-neutral event, which is why the committee is “committed to offsetting all emissions that cannot be avoided by supporting CO2 prevention and capture projects,” the press release added.
While Paris 2024 intends to invest in international projects, it also hopes to contribute to the development of local projects because these would be “essential in the fight against climate change and provide other benefits, such as protecting biodiversity or improving the quality of life of citizens”.
In order to achieve its ambitions, Paris 2024 also said it wants to “ensure that the Games serve as a platform to accelerate climate action at the local level.” To this end, the committee will “share tools and methodologies to change habits and guide stakeholders” in reducing their carbon emissions.
For example, the committee has launched its “Climate Coach” app, which has been designed to help employees reduce their personal and professional carbon footprint.
By 2022, Paris 2024 also wants to create a ‘carbon footprint calculator’ for sports events that will be made available to the industry in order to “encourage its business partners and suppliers to apply sustainability and carbon neutrality criteria to 100% of its procurement for the Games” as part of its ‘responsible procurement strategy’.
[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]
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