제 23 호 2024 Paris Olympics: Is It Eco-friendly?
Kicker: WORLD
2024 Paris Olympics: Is It Eco-friendly?
By Su-Young Kim, Editor /kimsuyoung1342@gmail.com
The 2024 Paris Olympics were held for about two weeks from July 24 to August 12.Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo expressed strong confidence in running the eco-friendly Olympics with the keyword "Green Olympics" for the French Olympics. The goal is not to emit more than 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide, and on average, about 3.5 million tons have been emitted at the Summer Olympics so far. To this end, equestrian events will be held at the Palace of Versailles, beach volleyball matches will be held in front of the Eiffel Tower, and only one new place will be built for the event at the Olympics. 95% of the stadiums were selected using existing facilities or temporary facilities.
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The 2024 Paris Olympics, Paralympics were the first international sporting event to meet the zero-carbon goals set by the International Olympic Committee, showing a strong commitment to halving the carbon footprint and offsetting more than the carbon emitted compared to the 2012 and 2016 Games. According to organizers, about 1.58 million tons of carbon dioxide are expected to be emitted at the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics compared to 2012 when 3.4 million tons were emitted and 2016 when 3.6 million tons were emitted. In addition to numerous sustainable initiatives related to movement, construction, accommodation and dining, voluntary contribution programs will also be in place to offset the inevitable emissions. The program is based on carbon impact measurement tools. All selected programs, including those already in place, will be distributed across the five continents that meet the highest certification criteria. The 2024 Paris Olympics, Paralympics chose to save 95% of its facilities, relying on existing facilities or temporary facilities such as the Grand Palais Épémere in de Mars, where judo and wheelchair rugby are held. This would be a good way to reduce the carbon footprint while making the most of the building assets and heritage by reducing infrastructure construction, and beautiful structures would be the most special stage decoration in Paris. It also aims to provide renewable electricity to all the Olympic venues. Organizers said they prefer wind and solar power over fossil fuels. Energy produced in other regions using a "guarantee of origin" system valid throughout the European Union would be used on days without windy and sunny weather.
However, despite these French efforts and plans, questions continue to be raised about whether an eco-friendly Olympics is possible. Paris has built a new 415-kilometer bicycle lane so that you can travel from all corners of the city with only one bicycle, even outside the stadium, and has increased the course and frequency of subway operations to revitalize public transportation. Unfortunately, these preparations emit more carbon dioxide. Therefore, it is said that it is green washing that is not actually for the environment but is engaged in related activities to have an eco-friendly image only on the outside. This is not the first controversy over greenwashing in an international sports competition. After hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics, then-President Putin promised the best eco-friendly Olympics ever, but it was revealed that land and buildings were newly built with a huge budget and waste was illegally reclaimed. In addition, FIFA's 2022 Qatar World Cup used 10,000 liters of water every day for grass management, calling it the first carbon-neutral competition, and an ironic situation occurred in which the environment was destroyed while desalinating to supply such water.
In addition to the environmental aspect, the athletes who participated in the competition were also dissatisfied. For eco-friendly preparations, the U.S. men's basketball team boycotted the accommodation of the Paris Olympic Village on a cardboard bed in an air-conditioned room. Instead, it spent about $15 million to rent the entire luxury hotel in the city. Athletes were dissatisfied with the Paris Olympics, which advocates eco-friendly carbon zero. The vegetarian diet on offer was also a complaint for athletes who needed protein such as meat and eggs to do a lot of hard-working exercise.
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I have always thought of the Olympics as a "festival of joyous people around the world," but it puts a lot of pressure on the environment to prepare and hold the festival, so I learned that the host countries are trying to make an eco-friendly way with the slogan of the Green Olympics. I think it is better to develop than to act irresponsibly without paying attention to the environment at all, but I think there is a need for a more certain policy that will be able to satisfy the needs and concerns of all the athletes who participate.
Sources:https://ko.dict.naver.com/#/entry/koko/c57e73b44db3ab8368bb08fc6c86c6a1
