The Paris 2024 Olympics are set to be the most sustainable yet, with the games’ committee pledging to be ‘more responsible, more sustainable, more united and more inclusive’ than ever before. But what does the organising committee have in store, and how does its ESG strategy compare to previous years?

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Today, 26 July, marks the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. France’s capital is expecting to host up to 15 million visitors – many of which will be flying from all over the world and driving in and around the city centre.

This isn’t to mention the 15,000 athletes and 45,000 volunteers, which adds to the considerable carbon footprint an event of such scale produces.

But Paris is claiming to be hosting the most sustainable and ‘greenest’ Olympics yet; ambitiously pledging to halve the average total carbon emissions produced by other games, such as Tokyo 2020, Rio 2016 and London 2012.

Previous editions of the games emitted around 3.6 million tonnes of CO2 on average, but Paris has set its ‘carbon budget’ at 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 across all the main sources of emissions, such as construction, transport and operations.

It intends to achieve this target through a ‘low-impact concept’, in which 95% of the infrastructure required already exists or is temporary, as well as a CO2 emissions reduction plan for all games-related operations.

Donned the ‘Paris 2024 method’, the strategy for this year’s games involves using a new model to factor in the carbon footprint of the event, rather than reporting or offsetting once the event is over.

“Climate change could eventually make sport impossible,” the committee said in its legacy and sustainability plan.

“In the face of the greatest challenge humanity has ever known, the world’s largest sporting event assumes its responsibilities. The most important legacy the Games need to leave is a neutral impact on the climate and the environment by halving the event’s carbon footprint, offsetting 100% of residual impacts on the widest scope of responsibility and guaranteeing compliance with the most stringent environmental standards,” it added.

“In line with the guiding principles of sobriety, innovation and boldness, Paris 2024 is setting a new standard for the organisation of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The new challenge is to create a positive impact on the climate by supporting projects making it possible to avoid or capture more CO2 emissions than the Games generate.”

This year, the games aims to include a number of new climate initiatives, such as an unveiling of the animal and plant species that live at each site, as well as regenerating environmentally damaged ecosystems with renaturing potential.

The games are also committing to efficiently manage material use and waste, apply an eco-design approach to everything that must be produced and to ensure products and equipment’s are given a second life.

Paris also said it can confirm that most venues are located in ecosystems transformed as a result of old or recent land take. It also said the organisation of the games requires few new structures and involves no overall net consumption of natural areas, woodlands or farmlands.
Additionally, the developments in the villages will help improve these environments, it claims, and the impacts of temporary venues are ‘relatively low and are offset’.

“Although a number of solutions already exist to achieve the environmental ambitions of Paris 2024, others are lacking on the scale of the Games,” it said.

“That is why the Paris 2024 organising committee has turned to innovation to mitigate the environmental impact of the Games and develop solutions that can be used well beyond 2024, with a focus on other markets and needs.”

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