A member of the International Olympic Committee, Prince Albert II has sought to praise the sustainability credentials of the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The Olympic Games are now under a year away, and Prince Albert II, who since 2015 has been its President of the Commission for Sustainability and Heritage, has highlighted the environmental credentials of the upcoming edition.

The Prince, a former Olympian himself, is a steadfast devotee to the environmentalist cause, a philosophy reflected in the policies of his government.

“No prior edition of the Games has tackled this challenge, to this level”

In a column posted on the International Olympic Committee’s website, Prince Albert II highlighted the unifying force of sport, and praised the lengths that the organisers of the upcoming Games have gone to.

“In a turbulent and polarised world, now more than ever, we need to unite nations through sport and go beyond all political and social division. No edition of the Games has tackled this challenge, to this level. The priority, above all, is to reduce carbon emissions,” he said.

Paris 2024 will halve the emissions of previous editions held in London (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2016), as highlighted by Prince Albert II, who praised the organisers’ attempts to “limit new constructions”.

“Almost 95% of the sites are temporary or already exist. They have been specially selected because of their accessibility by public transport. Paris 2024 also establishes new sustainability standards for major sporting events by encouraging energy saving, innovation and creativity. These Olympic Games mark the beginning of a new era,” he said.

Paris 2024 “an incubator for sustainable solutions”

Whilst the Prince of Monaco admits that there are currently “no solutions to allow us to completely eliminate the carbon footprint of big events”, Paris 2024 is a step in the right direction.

“Strengthened by their incomparable visibility, the Olympic Games are already an incubator for sustainable solutions that can be applied and adopted by sporting events around the world,” concluded the IOC member. The greener, more environmentally-respectful Olympics begin on 26th July 2024.

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Photo by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life