Paris 2024: Setting sustainability at the world stage

Paris2024 is set to halve the average carbon footprint of the recent Olympic Summer Games – historically at 3.5 million tons of CO2e.

The ambitious goal is set following the carbon mitigation hierarchy principles, where decarbonization efforts first prioritize GHG Avoidance and Reduction solutions, and then offset residual emissions. 

“Paris 2024 is pioneering a new model for Olympic Games delivery, fully aligned with Olympic Agenda 2020,” “The IOC is particularly excited to see that Paris 2024 is aiming to organize climate-positive Games already in 2024, in this way setting the pace for future organizers.”

              International Olympic Committee (IOC) President - Thomas Bach 

Let’s dive into the Paris2024 sustainability strategy:

1st Step: A pre-games carbon impact reduction target 

Unlike previous events, where carbon footprints were assessed post-competition, Paris 2024 has set an extensive carbon footprint assessment including scopes 1, 2, and 3, encompassing GHG calculation estimates of both direct and indirect sources of GHG emissions. After extensive analysis, choices were made to first reduce overall GHG emissions and then offset hard-to-abate emissions. 

👉 https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/our-commitments/the-environment/carbon-method

2nd Step: Carbon emission reductions actions

Ahead of the Games, Paris 2024 estimated its carbon footprint at 1.58 million teqCO2, lower than its initial estimations (1.75 million teqCO2). With the support of climate experts and specialized tools, emissions stemmed from construction and renovation before the Olympic games were avoided. Additional areas of attention where GHG emissions were avoided included energy, catering, transportation, equipment and IT.  

👉 https://press.paris2024.org/news/press-release-paris-2024-presents-the-latest-advance-in-its-low-carbon-strategy-175c-7578a.html

3rd Step: Carbon residual emissions offsets 

Paris 2024 developed a funding program for avoidance and removal nature-based projects, aimed to offset unavoidable Games-related emissions.

Together with Abatable and Schneider Electric (EcoAct), Paris 2024 developed a diverse portfolio of offset projects.

The organization is funding projects in France, including projects of afforestation and reforestation of degraded forests.

Internationally, Paris 2024 supports projects in equatorial regions, which are severely impacted by climate change. These include solar farms in Senegal and Vietnam, cooking systems in multiple African countries, and forest protection efforts in Guatemala and Kenya. 

With €10.7 million invested, Paris 2024 aims to sequester or avoid in total of 1,458,500 teqCO2 across the globe. Paris 2024 decided on projects located in different locations, types, Labels and respective methodologies. As such, national projects are registered under the label Bas Carbone – a government-led initiative, while international projects are either registered as Verra or Gold Standard projects.

👉https://press.paris2024.org/assets/paris-2024-carbon-contribution-projects-2eda-7578a.html

4th Step: Robust ‘green’ communication

In line with market standards and following ADEME’s advice (the French agency for ecological transition), Paris 2024 has chosen to not use the term ‘carbon neutrality’ to express its efforts to carbon offset its residual emissions. 

With growing public scrutiny and restrictive regulation on offset wording, Paris 2024 correctly decided to stick with a robust and aligned language for its ‘green’ communication. 

Key takeaways of Paris 2024 sustainability strategy

Paris 2024 is demonstrating how major events can significantly reduce their environmental impact by setting a robust sustainability strategy in place. 

The initiative should be celebrated by the sustainability community as it stresses the importance of companies, organizations, and events among other initiatives to make conscious decisions when planning sustainable action. 

 With the end of the Paralympic 2024 Summer Games in early September, we can now expect a detailed post-assessment of the Paris 2024 environmental strategy. Only when reports and comprehensive analyses are released, it will be possible to have an accurate result evaluation.

All in all, Paris 2024 sets an example of a worldwide sustainable event for years to come with best market practices from GHG mitigation to effective ‘green’ communication.