France is aiming for sustainability gold at this year’s Olympics, promising to host the “greenest” games in history this summer. But many obstacles remain.
From the first day of the application of the French capital by the mayor Anne Hidalgo, the condition was clear: The Games will either be ecological or they will not take place.
This year’s event aims to halve carbon emissions compared to the London 2012 and Rio 2016 averages, estimated at 3.5 million tonnes of CO2. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) outlined a roadmap during the bidding phase, putting legacy and sustainability at the heart of the project.
According to the roadmap, Paris 2024 is set to achieve its ambitious goal of reducing carbon emissions through a low-impact concept.
However, organizing a sporting event that attracts millions of people from over 200 countries presents a significant challenge in reducing the carbon footprint. An analysis of past Olympic Games conducted in 2021 found that the sporting events were never environmentally sustainable, with a tendency to deteriorate over time, despite organizers’ claims to the contrary.
New energy-efficient sports facilities
Newly built structures for the Olympics generate 30 percent less carbon per square meter than a standard project in France, according to Georgina Grenon, director of environmental excellence for Paris 2024. That’s because 95 percent of the required tournament venues already exist or are temporary.
One of the two permanent sports facilities built from scratch is the Aquatic Center located in the Seine-Saint-Denis. The building is low-carbon and uses bio-based materials such as wood, rather than concrete or steel, both of which create carbon dioxide in their manufacturing process.
The center requires less cooling and heating because it has a 5,000 m2 roof covered with photovoltaic panels that can supply all the energy needed, and is considered one of the largest urban solar farms in France.
The Porte de La Chapelle Arena will host a number of Olympic events, from basketball to badminton and rhythmic gymnastics.
Roof garden with solar panels
The roof of the building has a garden and has solar panels to provide energy for the place. A power plant is located in the basement of the building, the purpose of which is to produce and provide heat and cold not only for the site, but also for the surrounding area.
The Athletes’ Village is also designed to be environmentally friendly, running on 100 percent renewable energy, with photovoltaic panels on the roofs of the buildings to help meet local electricity needs.
Jan Krysinski, operations manager at Solideo (the public body in charge of Olympic and Paralympic infrastructure), said many natural materials were used in the construction of the buildings, generating 47 percent less CO2 emissions than conventional methods. All buildings are under 20 meters high and often have wood even in their structures and floors.
A heating and cooling system based on geothermal energy has been installed in the Sports Village, which will be without air conditioning. It was promised that room temperatures would be six degrees Celsius cooler than the outside temperature.
Relying on the sun and wind to power the games
Sobriety in infrastructure, transport and energy is at the heart of planning. Organizers intend to rely on wind and solar energy instead of fossil fuels to power all competition venues for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This comes as a stark contrast to the 2022 FIFA World Cup hosted by Qatar, which featured air-conditioned stadiums.
Electricity and natural gas will account for less than one percent of the Games’ total footprint. Most of the power will come from the French electricity grid, known for its low emissions due to its reliance on nuclear power.
Organizers have secured a deal with Électricité de France (EDF) to purchase renewable energy equivalent to the Games’ consumption. The backup generators will run on biofuels, eliminating the need for diesel generators that are normally used in the event of a power outage.
However, a recent in-depth assessment by Carbon Market Watch, an NGO working on Europe’s long-term decarbonisation, found that the Olympics’ carbon footprint remains too high to be sustainable.
Carbon budget transparency
The carbon budget is not transparent, with emissions coming mainly from construction and transport. While noting improvements, it appreciates that the main sources of emissions remain difficult to tackle.
Critics are calling for a complete overhaul of the Olympic model to meet climate goals, proposing decentralized hosting and sponsorship reform. They say real action is needed to bring the Games into line with climate goals.
[By Xhoi Zajmi I Edited by Brian Maguire | Euractiv’s Advocacy Lab ]
