One year to go

By the end of the 21^st century, only eight of the 21 cities that have hosted the Winter Olympics will be cold enough to reliably host the Games unless greenhouse gas emissions are slashed.

That’s according to research conducted by the University of Waterloo, putting the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina under the microscope. But in an era of rising costs, climate pressure and shifting public expectations, the Games represent an evolution of the infrastructural and operational blueprint required to future-proof global sports events.

Elevating temporary infrastructure

Milano-Cortina 2026’s commitment to use 85% of venues that are existing or temporary aligns with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) ‘New Norm’ strategy for Games hosts. For example, organisers will repurpose four halls of the multi-purpose Milano Rho Exhibition Centre into ‘Milano Ice Park’ to host speed skating and select ice hockey matches.

But while temporary infrastructure is generally more cost-effective than building permanent venues, it has its own challenges.

Qatar’s Stadium 974 used at the FIFA World Cup 2022 was intended to represent new heights for temporary sports infrastructure. Constructed from 974 shipping containers, the 44,089-capacity stadium was designed to be fully dismantled and relocated after the tournament.

However, lingering concerns about the tournament’s environmental claims cast doubt on whether this promise will be kept, undermining the ‘beacon of sustainability’ label given to the stadium by Qatar 2022’s organisers.

To avoid similar issues surrounding waste and uncertainty, Milano Cortina 2026 has developed first-of-its-kind sustainability criteria for temporary infrastructure. Conceived in collaboration with Politecnico di Milano university, they focus on:

• The sourcing process of temporary structures for sports events;
• Life cycle-based environmental criteria, such as ensuring the circular use of resources; and
• A scoring evaluation protocol to assess levels of achieved sustainability.

Speaking at the 2023 Green&Blue Festival, an event dedicated to environmental sustainability in Italy, Milano Cortina 2026’s Head of Infrastructure Veronica Vecchi emphasises the “very ambitious” plan that the Organising Committee has put forward.

“We believe we cannot build infrastructure that is not sustainable,” she explained. “We are giving centrality to the sustainability of infrastructure with an additional effort not because of legislation, but because it’s what we want to do.”

This proactive approach will help ensure that instead of being synonymous with waste, utilising temporary infrastructure becomes an important aspect of event hosting.

The water-way ahead

From snow shortages in winter to drought in summer, water resource management has become a critical risk factor for all sports events.

Traditionally, northeastern Italy experiences its highest precipitation during spring and autumn, with drier conditions in winter and summer. But recent years have brought severe droughts to the Cortina d’Ampezzo region during the winter months:

The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre reported in 2024 that long-lasting, above-average temperatures and a sequence of warm spells contributed to these drought conditions across large parts of the Mediterranean region, including northeastern Italy.

In response to this trend, Milano-Cortina 2026 is introducing water footprint calculations for the first time in Winter Olympic history. Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 will quantify water consumption associated with the event’s entire life cycle. Modelled on the IOC’s proposed methodology to calculate CO2eq emissions, this involves:

1. Defining the scope of measurement
2. Establishing a data collection model
3. Calculating both forecasted and actual water consumption
4. Developing a Water Consumption Reduction Plan and protecting water sources most vulnerable to climate change

Managing and measuring water resources may seem more applicable to winter sports, but when water quality threats are considered in addition to flooding and drought risks, all levels of sport should consider undertaking a thorough water risk assessment and implementing a water strategy to help preserve their long-term future.

Snow at stake

While accurately predicting the weather and snowfall at Milano Cortina 2026 will be challenging, the Games’ organising committee is complementing its water footprint calculations by implementing advanced snow making techniques. Developed by TechnoAlpin, the technology operates at warmer temperatures than previous Winter Olympics, reducing the electricity needed for cooling and minimising the quantity of water required to produce snow.

“Antholz is located at more than 1600m above sea level and is the highest World Cup venue in terms of elevation,” says Riikka Rakic, Head of Sustainability at the International Biathlon Union (IBU), regarding Milano Cortina 2026’s biathlon setting, a regular fixture on the IBU World Cup circuit.

While Rakic isn’t worried by the absence of snow in Antholz, the IBU actively contributes to snow-making technology innovations through its participation in the ERASMUS+ SIEPPUR Sustainable Snow Management project, aware of the wider risks posed by unreliable snow. “Water management is a key issue concerning snow making and the amounts of water used are tracked as part of our annual Snow Network survey that is mandatory for all IBU event hosts,” Rakic says.

Dependable snow is crucial for the events themselves to take place, but also to protect the quality of competition for broadcasters, sponsors, fans and athletes. These different stakeholder groups all rely on consistent conditions and aren’t blind to the problems posed by climate change.

An IBU survey conducted in 2021 found that 90% of athletes believed that biathlon had been impacted by the climate crisis, and 75% indicated they were either very or extremely concerned about climate change.

In response to the survey, the IBU Athlete Ambassador programme has just entered its fourth year. “We have continued to work with five current ambassadors, along with the Athletes’ Committee, to serve as conduits to the larger athlete community,” says Rakic. “We provide them with information and facts related to climate change, how the IBU is taking climate action, and how they can help us do so as well.”

This includes inviting athletes to partake in the IBU online Sustainability Course, which has attracted over 1,700 participants, and providing athlete workshops at training camps and competitions. The IBU will also conduct a repeat of the survey in 2025 at the end of the current Olympic cycle, where the findings are likely to prove even more eye-opening than in 2021.

Shaping the outlook

Milano Cortina 2026’s approach to temporary infrastructure and water management marks a noteworthy shift in the integration of sustainability into sport. Beyond mere compliance, organisers have established robust environmental responsibility that acknowledges wider societal and economic repercussions as a core pillar of event planning.

This isn’t just a Winter Olympics story, though. All sports event organisers can consider how to adapt and refine their temporary infrastructure and water management strategies.

“Being a winter sport, the energy efficiency of temporary infrastructure is a key concern for us since temporary structures at our venues must be heated,” explains Rakic. To reduce CO2 emissions from heating temporary structures, the IBU promotes transitioning away from diesel to renewable energy like hydrotreated vegetable oil by reimbursing its event organisers for the additional cost.

“We are also keen to support the development of more energy efficient temporary infrastructure and have taken note of Paris 2024’s work in this space,” Rakic adds.

The IBU’s environmental sustainability efforts were highly commended at the IOC Climate Action Awards 2024, but despite being an exceptional example in this space, this recognition and the IBU’s awareness of Paris 2024’s approach reinforces a critical truth: sustainability in sport is not a solitary pursuit that happens in a vacuum, but a collective responsibility.

So, the question for sports leaders isn’t whether to act, but how to adapt, innovate and push sustainability beyond Milano Cortina 2026, before necessity forces their hand.