The presence of the 2 million or so fans who will travel from abroad to attend the 2024 Paris Olympic Games will be felt in the city’s stadiums. Unfortunately, it will also be felt by the climate.
According to Olympic organizers, around one-quarter of the carbon emissions associated with holding the world’s biggest sporting event will be generated by spectator travel.
It is a longstanding problem that did not originate with the Paris Olympics. But the Paris Games, like previous ones, have embraced sustainability as a core principle. Along the way, it has made good progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to venue construction and operations. But it has done little to address overseas spectator emissions.