2024-07-30
PlanetPlay continues to push its Make Green Tuesday Moves initiative, as we aim to harness the power of #passiveactivism amongst both gamers and the games industry in our efforts to make a difference when it comes to the climate challenge. Here, we once again look at what’s trending in this space – outside of video games, but this time focusing on a different type of games, namely the Olympics…
The spotlight has certainly been on sustainability for these Olympic Games, with the IOC (International Olympic Committee) having worked with the organisers of the Paris events on a series of goals and initiatives, including the use of existing and temporary venues, reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable energy sources. Find out more about those goals here.
And there’s been no shortage of media coverage of this aspect of the Games, not least examining why these measures are so important. As USA Today points out: ‘Finding Olympic venues cold enough for winter events and not too warm for summer events increasingly challenges the International Olympic Committee and would-be hosts. Sweltering temperatures in recent world competitions raised serious health and safety concerns for athletes. They also sparked questions about whether the summer Games could one day become the fall or spring Games instead.’ Discover more here
The Conversation continues the, erm, conversation, highlighting that: ‘Sports have good reasons for caring about sustainability: Climate change can put athletes’ and fans’ health at risk and even put the future of some sports in doubt.’ Winter sports are most at threat, claims the article. Indeed, it reveals that the IOC has yet to select the host cities for the Winter Games from 2030 onwards because of uncertainty surrounding climate change. Read on for more
Science magazine Sequencer takes a serious look at the Games right now, and what climate change will mean to the performance of athletes, asserting: ‘Don’t be surprised if extreme heat makes breaking Olympic records impossible. Rising heat takes a toll on athletes’ physiology and makes sports more dangerous’. There’s more here
So, have the 2024 Paris Olympics’ decarbonisation efforts made the podium? That’s the question asked by CleanTechnica, which takes a deep dive into all of the initiatives – from infrastructure and planning, to transport, to tourism, to the Olympic Torch, and beyond – and examines their impact. It’s an important and interesting assessment that you can read more on here
We’ll be sharing more Green Tuesday insights next week – follow our social channels for more!