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Following the European Championship, we barely have a moment to catch our breath before another sporting feast, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games begins this week. As the world’s greatest athletics tournament, the Olympics celebrate the human body and spirit — as well as unity, not just between teammates, but all people. Just look at the Olympic rings. Despite the friction the world has seen since their creation in 1913, they’ve always represented the five continents united in sport.
They also project a powerful message inward to the entire sports industry, who must now work together in pursuit of a common goal — sustainable transformation in their industry. But this won’t happen at the push of a button; minimizing emissions and energy waste needs steadfast commitment and targeted investment.
Achieving on and off the field
The intention is already clear. Paris 2024 is expected to be the greenest Olympic Games in history, with organizers pledging to halve the event’s carbon footprint compared to previous games. This is exactly the kind of thinking we need. The progress from decarbonization pledges like REPowerEU, aiming to end reliance on Russian fossil fuels by 2030, shows the value of setting attainable targets and taking steps to reach them. But we must act now, given that the global sports sector contributes around 350 million tons of CO2e — equivalent to the footprint of the entire plastics trade.
Much like sport itself, vision is only one side of the story; execution is the other. Already, technologies exist that can reduce carbon emissions to target levels, as seen with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. This new stadium doesn’t just look futuristic, it integrates the latest technology, like digital platforms that connect to IoT system architecture. These reveal valuable insights about every aspect of the stadium’s operations, meaning that managers can better predict possible problems, schedule preventative maintenance, and streamline workflows to reduce operating costs. The result is vastly improved energy efficiency and reduced waste.
A blueprint for IoT integration, this project shows how investment in technology can create new stadiums that are climate friendly before players even step on the field. But what about buildings that already exist? 95% of the venues at Paris 2024 either existed prior, like the Saint-Quentin Velodrome and the iconic Stade de France, or are temporary structures to be dismantled after the games. To drive sustainable transformation in the sports industry, it’s essential to focus on retrofitting stadiums that have already been built.
In older structures, inefficiencies are practically guaranteed. That’s why there’s great value in using building management technologies whose analytics produce actionable insights. Managers can identify energy cost-saving opportunities and mechanical system inefficiencies within these existing stadiums, and make data-driven decisions to reduce the stadium’s environmental footprint.
International impact
The 2024 Olympics can further minimize its carbon footprint by supporting projects that reduce emissions, both in France and worldwide. We at Schneider Electric, and our subsidiary EcoAct, will work with the Olympics to deliver climate contribution projects in Vietnam, Rwanda, and Senegal.
Importantly, this extends the sustainability impact of the games across the planet. It demonstrates a complete understanding of social responsibility and will hopefully inspire the entire sports industry to make an impact, both inside and outside stadiums.
Seizing the moment
By prioritizing sustainability, deploying building management technologies, and delivering global initiatives, the 2024 Olympics could raise a new benchmark for future games, serving as the model of a sustainable sporting event. I hope this heralds a widespread transformation. For the planet’s sake, it’s essential that industry leaders now become as tenacious as Olympians in creating sustainable transformation in sports.
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