How Sustainable Were The 2026 Olympics, Really? - CleanTechnica

The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics were promoted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as a model of sustainability, emphasizing environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, and the use of low-carbon technologies. The IOC set minimal standards for the host country, including no minimum spectator capacity to ensure venue legacy use and integration of infrastructure improvements into long-term regional development plans. The Games were intended to raise awareness of climate action and showcase sustainable solutions, particularly protecting sensitive mountain ecosystems. However, multiple environmental organizations, including WWF Italia and Mountain Wilderness, criticized the Games for failing to meet these sustainability promises. Transparency requests were ignored, and a planned dialogue between the IOC and sustainability groups was canceled. Critics described the sustainability claims as misleading, pointing to significant environmental damage such as the felling of two hectares of forest within a UNESCO World Heritage Site to build a bobsled track. Additionally, the Games’ carbon footprint was substantial, with greenhouse gas emissions comparable to millions of cars driving from Paris to Rome. The Italian government