Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey joins 400 Olympians in urging for a more sustainable Games
Hong Kong Free Press
Over 400 Olympians, from 89 countries and representing over 50 sports, have urged the incoming head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to commit to a greener Games.
In a letter dated March 14, non-profit Athletes of the World called on the IOC to swiftly cut carbon emissions, champion sustainable practices in host cities, regulate high-polluting sponsorships, and use the Olympic platform to advocate broader environmental action.
Hong Kong swimmer Siobhan Haughey was among the 440 Olympic athletes who signed the letter.
The 10th president of the IOC will be elected at the 144th IOC Session this week in Greece.
The climate crisis “is no longer a distant threat, but a current and growing harm to the sports we love and to the countries that make up our Olympic family,” the athletes said.
“As the incoming President you have a precious opportunity to build on the IOC’s sustainability leadership, keeping with the spirit of the Games alive by ensuring that sports remains accessible and safe for future generations,” they added.
Athletes of the World said that extreme heat was affecting athlete performance and safety. Nearly one in 100 athletes suffered a heat-related illness at the 2020 Tokyo Games – the hottest Olympic Games on record, they said.
Nearly half of the 2036 candidate cities could experience dangerous heat levels, the NGO said, whilst dwindling snowfall levels are endangering the future of the Winter Olympics.
“Artificial snow is increasingly used, but it is costly and less sustainable. Without action to reduce emissions, temperature increases will mean only 52 previous host cities will reliably be able to host the Olympics by 2050,” the NGO said.
Most emissions from Olympic travel
According to the IOC, in 2022, 72.3 per cent of its carbon footprint came from business travel, 8.9 per cent from freight, 5.2 per cent came from employee commuting, and 4.5 per cent from accommodation. Meanwhile, 4.2 per cent came from energy use in buildings and vehicles, 2.5 per cent from food and beverages, 1.6 per cent from uniforms, while 0.8 per cent derived from other sources.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that the intensity and frequency of heatwaves have continued to increase since the 1950s due to human-caused climate change. The prevalence of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide – which trap heat in the atmosphere – raises the planet’s surface temperature, with hotter, longer heatwaves putting lives at risk.
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