The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games has set its sights on being the “most sustainable in history” and is taking on “unprecedented responsibilities” to reduce emissions and limit the climate impact of the events.
The organisers have made green measures to help cut carbon emissions a central pledge of the spectacle which is viewed by millions around the world.
One of the main goals is to ‘halve the emissions arising in relation to the Games, while offsetting even more CO2 emissions than we will generate’.
”Paris 2024’s goal is an ambitious one: to cut the carbon footprint of the Games in half compared with previous editions. By targeting every source of emissions and rallying all the parties involved, Paris 2024 hopes to show that another model exists,” the organisers said.
One of its key targets is to halve emissions during the Games and offset more CO2 emissions than the Games will generate.
Part of Paris’s 2024 bid to make the Olympic Games more eco-friendly was a pledge to use existing buildings, and temporary venues and build less facilities while making sure they were always useful for their communities.
The organisers said:” Thanks to this commitment, moving away from the approach for previous Games, Paris 2024 has scaled back the use of resources significantly.”
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Other Olympic environmental initiatives include a target to halve the average carbon footprint of the 13 million meals served over the four weeks; a pledge to cut single plastic by half; cut food waste; and to have 80 per cent of the products sourced locally or within France. It has also banned single-use plastics.
According to organisers: “The vast majority of the athletes (98%) are ‘concerned’ or ‘very concerned’ by the social and environmental impacts of their diet.”
Marie Sallois, the International Olympic Committee’s director for sustainability, said: “France certainly knows how to welcome the world to its table.
“The Olympic Games organisers are laser focused on showcasing French food that is sourced, produced and consumed in a responsible way.
“We hope that this approach will go beyond helping reduce the Games’ footprint, raising the bar for sustainable catering at sports events and beyond.”
Etienne Thobois, Paris 2024 chief executive officer, added: “Serving 13 million meals in four weeks at over 40 sites is going to be the largest event catering operation in the world.It’s an immense operational challenge.
“For France, it’s an opportunity to showcase our expertise at every step of the chain – production, logistics, preparation, service and waste management.”
