Bluedot's Take on Olympic Sustainability: Paris 2024 and the Road to Los Angeles 2028

PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Every four years, billions of viewers and millions of spectators cheer on 10,000 of the world's greatest athletes during the Summer Olympic Games. With the global spotlight on them, Paris is using their 2024 host-city status to emphasize sustainability. Paris has declared the ambitious goal of halving the carbon footprint compared to previous Games, particularly by mitigating the footprint of transportation used by spectators. Los Angeles, the host of the 2028 Olympics, faces significant challenges in continuing this sustainability effort.

Each competition venue is accessible by public transportation, with expanded metro lines and a 15% increase in services over usual summer benchmarks. Paris is also adding electric buses and 400 km of bike lanes. Toyota is delivering over 2,650 electrified vehicles and 700 electric last-mile solutions, optimizing the fleet to use around 40% fewer vehicles than in previous Games.

Like Paris in 2024, L.A. 2028 aims to make Metro the primary mode of transportation. "We're planning to make the 2028 Olympics transit-first Games," said L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn. Yet, in addition to an increased demand on public transport, Los Angeles also faces a different set of challenges. When L.A. hosted the 1984 Olympics, the Metro Rail system didn't exist. Although it now has over 100 miles of track, this is not enough to cover the city efficiently. To promote Metro use and reduce congestion, most private vehicle parking around competition venues will be prohibited. Supplemental bus service during the Games will likely require an additional 2,700 buses, with cost estimates ranging from $700 million to $1 billion. Los Angeles recently secured almost $900 million in federal funding for infrastructure projects.

Paris is setting an excellent example for amplifying the message of sustainability. The largest impact comes from global transport to and from the Games, but Paris has shown that margins matter, powering venues with 100% renewable energy and utilizing existing sites for 95% of all competition venues. L.A. can learn that sustainability is a winning issue, especially as improvements to transportation infrastructure will benefit Angelenos long after 2028.

For a detailed analysis of the sustainability efforts for the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, please refer to the full version of our report here.

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SOURCE Bluedot