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IOC roadmap backed to help Olympics hosts build on Paris progress
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has highlighted the importance of Olympic Agenda 2020 in providing the next hosts of the Summer and Winter Olympic Games with a sustainability roadmap following the progress achieved with Paris 2024.
In an interview published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), IOC Corporate and Sustainable Development Director Marie Sallois said that Paris had provided solid foundations for the future.
Ninety-five per cent of the venues for Paris 2024, which concluded on Sunday with the closing ceremony of the Paralympics, were either existing or temporary.
“Paris 2024, as the first edition of Olympic Agenda 2020, aimed at reducing the footprint to a minimum, and maximising the possible positive impact on the environmental, social, and economic spheres,” Sallois said.
The IOC and IUCN co-founded the Sport for Nature Framework, which launched in 2022, alongside the United Nations Environment Programme, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy. The initiative has more than 70 signatories, including major sports federations and host committees like Paris 2024.
In an interview with Global Sustainable Sport ahead of the Paris 2024 opening ceremony in July, Sallois outlined a number of steps undertaken by Paris 2024 organisers to reduce emissions, including competition venues using 100% of renewable energy.
From 2030 onwards, all Games organisers will be obliged to minimise direct and indirect Games-related carbon emissions – but the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics and the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games will also lean on Olympic Agenda 2020 to take solid steps in sustainability.
“There are always big challenges ahead, and also big opportunities,” Sallois said. “Each edition is different, placed in a different context. We have general frameworks, like Sports for Nature, which are available to all upcoming hosts, but it will be implemented differently depending on the specific local context.
“What is common, though, is that they all benefit from the same strategic roadmap, Olympic Agenda 2020, so whether you talk about Milano-Cortina or Los Angeles, the next editions of winter and summer Games, they all must focus on minimising their footprint.
“At Milano-Cortina 2026, around 90% of the venues already exist. It’s the first time that two cities are hosting the Games. Why? Because we want to maximise the use of existing venues. For Los Angeles 2028, it’s a radical reuse approach, because no new venue will be built. One-hundred percent of venues will be existing or temporary.”
However, Sallois acknowledged that there are major climate-related challenges ahead – particularly for the Winter Olympics.
“It’s true that the impact of climate change is even more visible in winter,” Sallois added.
“We know that in 50 years there will be fewer locations able to host the Olympic Winter Games. And we also know that winter sports and the Olympic Winter Games are increasingly relying on artificial snow. So there is a huge focus on how we can deliver the Games the most sustainable way, caring about water consumption and the natural environment.”