Climate change endangers athletes and their sport

Europe is within the midst of a Heatwaveand while Olympic athletes could also be spared the worst on the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the weather will still be hot.

With global temperatures rising, major sporting events corresponding to the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup needed to adapt in extreme heat and storms to make sure the security of athletes and fans and to permit the Games to proceed.

Olympic organizers have postponed events corresponding to marathons until the early hours of the morning And even in cooler citiesFIFA, the governing body of world football, has postponed the 2022 Men’s World Cup from its usual date in June to the top of November in order that it held in Qatar.

The heat risks and environmental impacts of major sporting events have prompted some people to Question whether these events should happen in any respect. But as someone who studies sports management and sustainability in an area that I actually have shaped “Sports ecology“I imagine this radical approach ignores the advantages, including the flexibility of the Olympic Games to encourage public motion worldwide to be sustainable.

Impact of accelerating global heat on the Olympic Games

There are good reasons for sport to care about sustainability: climate change can endanger the health of athletes and fans and even call into query the long run of some sports.

Winter sports face the best threats from climate change as temperatures rise and precipitation levels change, dramatically shortening the winter sports season in lots of areas. In 2022, the Winter Olympics in Beijing needed to be postponed create artificial snow in order that there will be ski slopes in any respect. The International Olympic Committee has postponed its decision to pick out the host cities for the Winter Games for 2030 and beyond attributable to the uncertainty surrounding winter sports.

In summerGlobal warming promotes extreme heat and storms that reduce the standard of competition and Health of athletes And Viewers.

Significant Sports associations and leaguesand the Olympic Games have responded to the risks by postponing the competitions in an effort to cooler times of day and season, Implementation of water breaks And offer more player substitutions.

The organizers of the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which took place amid a severe heatwave, had moved the marathon to Sapporo as a precautiongreater than 500 miles north of Tokyo in order that athletes could run in cooler weather. They also postponed competitions in the course of the Games to avoid extreme heat And excessive rain.

Olympic progress towards sustainability

Any major event corresponding to the Olympic Games can generate enormous carbon dioxide emissions attributable to construction, transportation and energy consumption.

These impacts and the associated risks for sport and its athletes are the explanation why sustainability a pillar of the Olympic Charter since 1996 and is a spotlight of his Planning for the long runThe Olympic Games in London 2012 were a pioneer of a brand new international certification standardISO2012, which provides guidelines for any major event to make more sustainable decisions, from construction to catering.

The 2024 Paris Gamesfrom July 26 to August 11, and the Paralympic Games from August 28 to September 8, are certified to the newest standard and the organizers are taking many steps to scale back their climate impact.

The Organizers plan to support the running of the events with 100% renewable energy from wind and sunThey used existing venues where possible, had recent ones built with low-carbon concrete and recycled materials, and brought hundreds of Seats created from recycled plastic.

All furniture and temporary buildings approved for the Games must even have contractually guaranteed second lifeas an alternative of ending up in a landfill. All competition venues are accessible by public transport, meaning fewer cars on the roads. Even food is anticipated to scale back emissions by 50% in comparison with a median meal through the use of more plant-based foods. The Paralympics will use the identical venues and accommodation within the weeks that follow.

But that doesn’t mean that there shall be no large carbon footprintbut especially as many spectators and athletes arrive by planeBut the organizers are aiming for Emissions from construction and operation are to be halved those of the London and Rio Games in 2012 and 2016.

World Exhibition of Sustainability

The Olympic Games in Paris are an example of what major sporting events can do to scale back their impact on the Environment and lift awareness of sustainability solutions to a world audience. Viewers experience sustainability first handand the organizers will the Games’ sustainability efforts.

Such campaigns can influence people on a regular basis behavior and even increase their Commitment to sustainability of their home communities.

Suggestions for Reducing the scope and size of sporting events or Commercialization of sportthat put an end to spectator sport as we understand it overlook the flexibility of sport to influence and alter human behavior.

Sustainability is a constantly evolving process to learn from the past improve for the long run.

The strategies for the 2024 Olympic Games, constructing on the ideas utilized in previous eventsAnd what Paris learns within the implementation of those events may also assist in the planning of future events, including the 2028 Summer Olympics in The angel.

Essentially, the Olympic Games, the world's biggest sporting event, is a world exhibition of sustainability in sport. It shows what is feasible for a sporting event to work with international firms to scale back its environmental impact. And it inspires others to follow suit, be they other sporting events, leagues and federations, or spectators from all around the world.