How Is Technology Being Used to Reduce the Environmental Impact of the Paris Olympic Games?

It’s no secret that the Olympic Games are notorious for causing a dramatic increase in carbon emissions of host countries, as has been the case in recent history. In 2016, for instance, the Rio De Janero Olympic Games resulted in the production of more than 17,000 metric tons of waste while using nearly 30,000 gigawatts of electricity.

However, as concerns about global warming become increasingly serious and have become a significant factor in international diplomacy, by means of efforts such as the Paris Agreement, there’s no getting away from the negative effects the that biggest sporting event on the planet has on the environment, and something needs to be done about it.

In the past, host nations have chosen to deal with environmental issues caused by the Olympic Games after the fact, but Paris has taken a different stance. Instead, they’ve set clear goals that they’d like to achieve with regard to a tremendous reduction in carbon emissions in comparison to previous Olympic Games, leaving many wondering exactly how they’re going to achieve this.

By setting their baseline target at half of the carbon footprint of both the London and Rio Games in 2012 and 2016 respectively – about 3.5 million tons of C02 equivalent – the French have a lot to do to to achieve their objectives.

We’re going to explore what the French hope to achieve in terms of the reduction of their carbon footprint during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games followed by the plans that they’ve outlined to make this a reality.

Goals for Paris’ Carbon Footprint Reduction During 2024 Olympic Games

The French’ aim to halve their carbon footprint during the 2024 Olympic Games is an ambitious one, despite the amount of planning and strategy that has gone into attempting to make it a reality.

That being said, officials have used this objective to guide the decisions that have been made during both the lengthy planning and preparation processes. The most significant departure from the past, however, is the ability to be able to accurately track and monitor carbon emissions in real-time during the event. This tool uses in excess of 10,000 data points to be able to create accurate and useful data.

And, in a stunning turn of events, Paris 2024 Olympic Games organisers are actually on track to achieve their goal – so far.

How Are Organisers Working Towards Achieving Their Goal?

There are several different ways in which organisers are aiming to achieve their goal, one of which is simply anticipating the issue beforehand.

In addition to that, however, here are the primary strategies they’ve used to reduce the carbon footprint of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Decreasing the Scale of Construction

A significant contributor of greenhouse gases during the build-up to the Olympic Games involves the immense amount of construction that occurs in host cities. However, Paris made a bold decision against this usual pattern by deciding to construct only one new building for the games.

Their plan involved the construction of a single new venue that can cater to most of the needs of the games, as well as utilising existing venues, so as to decrease the negative effects (and cost) of building a plethora of brand-new stadiums and sports grounds.

Smart Energy

Although difficult to achieve, the Olympic committee endeavoured to make use of as much renewable energy as possible throughout the games, in both competition venues and the Olympic village.
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Fourniture

Much like their efforts to construct as little as possible, officials have chosen to rent property needed for the Olympic Games’ events rather than make purchases.

Most significantly, all planning has been done with the future of equipment and everything else involved in mind, ensuring that it will be put to good use rather than being used once and never again. This contributes to a more sustainable way of doing things.

Carbon-Wise Catering

It may not seem like a big factor, but catering can have a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions, especially when considering the number of athletes participating in the games, as well as staff and spectators.

As such, plans for the Paris Olympic Games outlined a more responsible diet for those being catered for, including more plant-based food that’s produced by means of processes that are more environmentally friendly.

Prioritising 5G Technology

Plans for the Gamses’ tech and infrastructure prioritised 5G technology over alternatives due to the fact that it tends to result in lower carbon emissions.

Digital 5G systems use far less power and require less heating compared older technology that needs a significant amount of power and cabling to operate efficiently. In addition, older types of tech also tend to involve a lot of infrastructure, whereas the fact that 5G tech operates digitally means that it need less physical infrastructure.

Offsetting Carbon Emissions

A growing trend in combatting global warming is attempting to offset carbon emissions by means of alternative positive actions, and this is one of the strategies adopted by the Paris Olympic Games.

Understanding that there was only so much that could be done to reduce carbon emissions during such an enormous, global event, they decided to embark on alternative projects that would help offset the carbon footprint of the games.

One way that they’ve done this is by means of four different forestry projects via the Low Carbon Label (LCL) in various parts of France.

Going Carbon Neutral

The ultimate goal for the Olympic Games in the future, although it doesn’t quite seem plausible just yet, is to go carbon neutral. That is, offset the environmental impact of the games by means of strategies such as reforestation projects, making use of renewable energy sources and prioritising low-carbon technologies.

Although this isn’t quite a reality for the Olympic Games just yet, the Paris Games has already shown that anticipating the environmental impact of the event rather than merely trying to deal with it afterwards can contribute significantly to reducing carbon emissions.