The Climate Coach for Events: a tool for a low-carbon sport
Beyond its commitment to hosting a more responsible Games, Paris 2024 aims to contribute to an ecological shift in the world of sports and events. Backed by the French Ministry of Sport and Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), Paris 2024 has developed the “Climate Coach for Events” tool to assess and reduce the carbon footprint of sporting events in France.
Climate change and its consequences are having an impact on sport. According to a WWF study, at +2°C, French people could lose up to 24 days of sporting activity each year, as the temperature would rise above 32°C.
To address climate change, Paris 2024 is aligning with the objectives of the Paris Agreement by halving the carbon footprint of the Olympic Games compared to previous editions. To achieve this goal, the Committee has developed a tool to monitor and control its CO2 emissions throughout the project.
Understanding an event’s carbon footprint and identifying ways to reduce it
To take things a step further and mobilize all sports players in this dynamic, Paris 2024, the Ministry of Sports and the CNOSF have adapted this tool to make it free and accessible to all event organizers: the Climate Coach for Events.
Organiser fills in information about their event in 10 main categories: catering, accommodation, travel, infrastructure and energy, sports equipment, logistics, site preparation, promotional items, digital material and waste. The Climate Coach for Events then estimates the event’s carbon footprint and provides a breakdown, enabling the organiser to identify the biggest sources of emissions.
Much like a sports coach, the tool then draws up a customised programme of around a hundred tangible measures showing organisers how they can reduce their event’s carbon footprint. “Choosing a venue accessible by public transport”, “catering options that include more plant-based products” or “sourcing electricity without using a fossil-fueled temporary generator” are just some of the solutions adopted by Paris 2024 for the Games. Depending on their viability and their resources, the organiser is then free to adopt some if not all of them but with one aim in mind: to do their best for the climate.
The Climate Coach for Events is now part of a comprehensive toolkit that Paris 2024 will leave as a legacy to French sporting events, for sport to control and reduce its impact.
