Did Paris 2024 achieve its goal of becoming the greenest Olympic games in history? While the organizers made bold efforts, some plans worked better than others. Perhaps the answer to the question is not that important. What is more valuable are the lessons learnt – both the challenges faced, and the successes achieved.
Paris 2024 received the ISO 20121 certification on sustainable event management systems in 2022 and was also labelled with an “exemplary” level in compliance with ISO 20400 standard on responsible procurement.
Several athletes complained about poor air-conditioning and not-very nutritious food. Organizers tried to adapt but there’s always a little price to pay while balancing sustainability goals and comfort. Perhaps the organizers went a little too far with their green energy plans compromising the comfort of the athletes.
The estimated carbon footprint of the Paris 2024 Games was 1.58 million mtCO2e, lower than their target of 1.75 million mtCO2e, the organizers said. The Olympics in Tokyo in 2020 is said to have emitted 1.96 tCO2e, half of the emission at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Paris 2024 Olympics has indeed set a very high bar for the next one in Los Angeles in 2028.
