Sports
Sustainability
Climate change

Sustainability or international sporting events: do we need to choose?

Date

Apr 29, 2024

Time

10:00 - 11:15

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Sustainability or international sporting events: do we need to choose?

The Olympics and the climate: what's the game?

The Olympic Games are the most-watched event on Earth, giving them significant power to shape public perception and good practices in relation to climate change. In this presentation, we trace how concern with climate change in the Olympic Games evolved over time, when carbon accounting became standard practice, and what carbon offsetting practices have been implemented by host cities. Comparing the greenhouse gas emissions of the most recent Olympic Games, we identify transport, construction, and operations as the major contributors.

We conclude by interrogating claims of "climate-positive" Games using offsetting and provide an outlook on the carbon footprint of the Olympics in Paris, speculating what a fair carbon footprint of the Olympic Games could be and how to get there.

Martin Müller
Prof. Martin Müller

FGSE, UNIL

Martin Müller is a professor at the University of Lausanne. He is a geographer working on the (un)sustainability of mega-events such as the Olympic Games and the Football World Cups. He has led the creation of the world’s largest database on the sus...
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David Gogishvili
Dr. David Gogishvili

FGSE, UNIL

David Gogishvili is a senior researcher in the Department of Geography and Sustainability at the University of Lausanne. He studies how urban megaprojects, such as mega-events and cultural flagships, move and unfold in the Global East. He is part of...
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Quelle transition pour l’organisation d’événements sportifs internationaux ?

La transition dans l'organisation d'événements sportifs internationaux est cruciale pour répondre aux défis environnementaux, renforcer la cohésion sociale et stimuler l'économie locale. Ces changements et innovations nécessitent une refonte du modèle organisationnel vers une approche plus inclusive et régénérative, et visant une réduction importante de l’empreinte carbone.

Il est également essentiel de mesurer l'impact sur la biodiversité et d'impliquer activement les communautés locales. Ces événements se doivent de promouvoir un mode de vie actif et sain auprès de leurs publics, luttant contre la sédentarité ou les problèmes de santé mentale. De sorte, les organisateurs augmentent non seulement l'attractivité mais surtout la légitimité de leurs événements, jouant alors un rôle clé sur la santé individuelle, davantage d’inclusion et de responsabilité environnementale. Cette approche sera déterminante pour garantir la pérennité de ces manifestations.

Neil Beecroft
Neil Beecroft

Neil Beecroft is a sustainability and innovation expert, co-founder of bloomUp, having led sustainability for UEFA EURO 2016, the 2020 Youth Olympic Games and the Tour de France 2022 in Lausanne. He honed his skills in French-speaking Switzerland wi...
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