Reducing environmental impact from planning to implementation, revision and post-event activities is a Rio 2016™ Committee priority. With this challenge in mind, the Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games celebrated World Environment Day on 5 June. Adopting the Sustainable Supply Chain Programme and building a concreting plant at the Olympic Village construction site are two examples of that.

Sustainability is one of the criteria that are formally considered in the decision-making processes for all Rio 2016™ purchases. The programme defines how sustainability will be integrated in the acquisition, trade, donations and licensing processes.

Encouraging the environmental certification of the materials chain is a very efficient way of ensuring the Games have a positive impact on the environment. Tania Braga, Head of Sustainability, Accessibility and Legacy, explains how the Rio 2016™ Committee works to purchase products from companies that have sustainability in their DNA.

“By exclusively purchasing certified wood and paper, we generate a positive environmental impact as we prevent deforestation. Besides, all Committee’s purchases are taking other environmental certifications into consideration, something very innovative for supply chains. Another important fact is the existence of integral logistic planning for the final disposal of all the products, packages and residues acquired for the Games”, Tania said.

Concreting plant

Efforts to reduce and compensate carbon emissions during the construction of competition and non-competition venues are among Rio 2016™ Games sustainability goals. In order to reach this goal, an already fully operational initiative was the creation of a concreting plant at the Athletes’ Village to serve it as well as the Barra Olympic Park.

The new plant will produce 90% of the total volume of concrete at its own construction site, reducing carbon emission by 700 tons throughout its whole operational period. In case all this material was to be transported from the nearest factory, 37,500 lorry rides would be needed.

The environment as one of the pillars of Olympism

Sport can and should have an important leading role in promoting sustainability. Since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, which took place in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, the Olympic Movement has been concerned about environmental issues and has been following the debates surrounding the matter.

In 1996, a change to the Olympic Charter recognised the environment as the third pillar of Olympism, along sport and culture. Another important milestone was the publication, in 1999, of the Olympic Movement’s Agenda 21.

In general, actions directed at the environment are becoming more important since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. But, regarding the integration of the vision of sustainability, based on the balance of environmental, social and economic considerations, the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and the London 2012 Games serve as reference.

In order to continue this trend and, according to its mission of promoting sustainable transformation through sport, Rio 2016™ takes the challenge of embracing sustainability to boost Games planning.