From Athens to Tokyo: The journey towards sustainable Olympic Games

Displaced residents, damaged archaeological sites, disrupted natural habitats, and an economic downturn were not part of the post-Games ‘glow’ that Athens had hoped for in 2004. The aftermath of the Athens 2004 Games infrastructure and more broadly Greece’s economy left many wanting.

The Games consumed large amounts of energy and water, generated high levels of greenhouse gas emissions and waste, and also contributed to a subsequent sovereign debt crisis. Many of the Games facilities were left underused or abandoned due to lack of maintenance, management and funding. But twenty years ago, the economic and environmental impact of the Athens Games proved a turning point for mega event planning in many ways.

Over the last two decades, the IOC has closely assessed the environmental and social impacts for cities hosting the Olympic Games, and the need to align them with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on climate change. Extensive feedback from previous and potential host cities has been growing, covering concerns on cost, complexity and desired legacy in delivering the Games, and the wish for more flexibility, autonomy and support from the IOC.

The ongoing analysis of event planning, design best practices and lessons learned from past and ongoing Games are now in place, identifying areas of improvement and innovation in planning, delivery and governance. The result has been the vision of the Olympic Agenda 2020, which aims to make the Games more relevant, accessible and beneficial for all stakeholders.

As part of the Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC launched the New Norm initiative which aims to make the Olympic Games more sustainable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly. The New Norm consists of 118 reforms that cover all aspects of planning and delivering the Games.

In essence, it means choosing projects that offer significant social, environmental, and economic benefits. It also means prioritising low-carbon, resilient and adaptable solutions that can withstand and recover from climate change impacts and changing needs.

At the forefront of this set of reforms is establishing a cumulative blueprint to help future host cities with a more flexible, efficient and sustainable model for organising the Games. It's about building better, not more.

Tokyo 2020 Games were a first test for the New Norm reforms and delivered in many aspects including:

• Achieving a 100% renewable energy supply for all venues, avoiding about 370,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
• Reducing water consumption by 30% compared to previous Games, using water-saving devices and rainwater harvesting systems.
• Recycled materials for the construction of venues and medals (i.e. medals were made from recycled electronic devices donated by the public).
• Using hydrogen fuel for the Olympic cauldron and torch relay, as well as some vehicles and buses.
• Planting 270,000 trees across Japan as part of the Tokyo 2020 Forestation Project, creating carbon sinks and enhancing biodiversity.
• Seeking to minimise the impact on biodiverse ecosystems by conducting environmental assessments, avoiding sensitive areas and restoring habitats.
• Promoting the conservation of endangered species, such as the loggerhead turtle and the oriental stork.

The Tokyo Games was scored from a sustainability perspective by various stakeholders and organisations, such as the UN, independent experts and the IOC itself. The results were generally positive and recognised the efforts of Tokyo 2020 in addressing environmental challenges and promoting sustainable development. Some of the achievements include:

• The IOC awarded Tokyo 2020 with the first-ever Olympic Carbon Award, acknowledging its carbon management strategy and actions.
• The UN praised Tokyo 2020 for its contribution to the SDGs, especially in the areas of climate action, clean energy, responsible consumption and production, and partnerships.
• The Global Ecosphere Retreats certified Tokyo 2020 as an "Advanced Eco-Leader", the highest level of its certification system for sustainable events.
• The Dow Jones Sustainability Index included Tokyo 2020 as one of the most sustainable organisations in the world, based on its environmental, social and governance performance.

The bar has been set high for Paris which is aiming to use 95% of existing or temporary venues, significantly reducing the need for new venues. The biggest break from previous Games approaches is in construction. Two new structures were deemed unavoidable: the Olympic Village, which will become housing and office space, and the Saint-Denis Aquatics Centre, located in Paris’s disadvantaged northern suburbs. Comparatively, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics utilised 58% of existing venues.

Paris’s commitment to low-carbon construction materials and methods is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 55% compared to previous Games, according to the Paris 2024 Organising Committee. Paris Olympic officials had set an ambitious target of halving their overall carbon footprint compared with the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Games. Their goal has been to limit emissions to 1.58 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent for the Olympics and Paralympics that follow.

It’s a lot less than the footprint of previous Games. Previous summer Olympics, which include Tokyo 2020, Rio 2016 and London 2012, have emitted an average of 3.5 million tonnes of CO2, according to the Paris 2024 Organising Committee. Besting emissions from Tokyo's games will be particularly remarkable as that event did not have spectators thanks to COVID-19 restrictions. Adding to this pressure of delivering a sustainable model is the fact that this is the city that hosted the 2015 UN climate talks that brought about the Paris Agreement, which is the most significant international climate accord to date.

In many ways, Paris could even shape a newer norm with its learnings, as part of a global shift to more sustainable events and the infrastructure that supports them. Indeed, the insights will help contribute to a new sustainable urban vision that promotes the use of existing venues, renewable energy and community legacy. Without doubt, the Paris Games will represent a significant evolution in the way the Olympic Games are planned and executed.

It's not just the next host cities of Los Angeles and Brisbane that are intently watching the delivery of the 2024 Summer Games. Just as the medal tallies grow, so too will the growing number of urban planning teams and policymakers closely monitoring the event delivery, adopting similar approaches to enhance the sustainability and legacy of their own events while strengthening the communities that host them.