The fate of the Winter Olympics hangs in the balance as climate change threatens to disqualify iconic European cities from future hosting duties. But what does this mean for the beloved winter sports we cherish? And is there a way to save the games?
As Belgian biathlete Maya Cloetens prepares for the upcoming Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy, she can't shake the reality of a changing climate. The mountains above Grenoble, France, where she fell in love with her sport, bear witness to the undeniable evidence of global warming. Once a host to the 1968 Winter Olympics, Grenoble now experiences shorter and milder winters, with less reliable heavy snowfall. And Maya has noticed the difference.
The future looks uncertain for many European cities. According to researchers, the list of suitable locations for the Winter Games will significantly shrink in the coming years due to rising temperatures. This has prompted the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to consider a radical shift: rotating the games among a select group of climate-resilient locations and even moving the event earlier in the season.
But here's where it gets controversial: Out of 93 mountain locations capable of hosting elite winter sports, only 52 are projected to have the necessary snow depth and cold temperatures for the 2050s. And the IOC's preference for existing venues narrows the field even further. By the 2080s, the number of viable locations could plummet to as low as 30, depending on global efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
The Paralympic Winter Games face an even more challenging situation. Researchers suggest that starting both the Olympics and Paralympics earlier could almost double the number of suitable locations for the Paralympic events. However, the reliance on advanced snowmaking technology is undeniable, as there are nearly no locations that could naturally host snow sports by mid-century.
And this is the part most people miss: Iconic past hosts like Chamonix, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and Sochi may not make the cut for future games due to climate unreliability. Even former venues in Vancouver, Palisades Tahoe, Sarajevo, and Oslo are considered climatically risky. The question remains: How much will climate change reshape the map of potential Winter Olympics hosts?
The answer lies in the snow. Manufactured snow has been a game-changer, with its first use in the 1980 Lake Placid Games and a near-total reliance on it in the 2022 Beijing Olympics. For Milan Cortina, the organizing committee plans to produce a staggering 2.4 million cubic meters of snow, a far cry from the natural snow used in the 1956 Cortina Olympics.
Yet, snowmaking has its limits. It requires cold temperatures and low humidity, a challenge in Europe, the fastest-warming continent. The process is energy-intensive and water-demanding, potentially exacerbating climate change and water scarcity issues. Milan Cortina's electricity partner, Enel, aims to mitigate this by providing entirely renewable energy.
A critical question arises: Can we continue to rely on artificial snowmaking? University of Strasbourg hydrology professor Carmen de Jong emphasizes the importance of water, stating, "Without water, there are no Games." While she criticizes the environmental impact of building reservoirs, she acknowledges the increasing demand for artificial snow due to climate change.
The IOC is taking steps to address these challenges. It requires hosts to minimize water and electricity use and avoid unnecessary construction. Karl Stoss, chair of the Future Host Commission, suggests that reducing the number of sports, athletes, and spectators may be necessary in the long term. The IOC aims to showcase how to protect winter sports by selecting hosts with existing infrastructure and strong climate protection standards, as seen in the choice of Switzerland for the 2038 Games.
But is this enough? Diana Bianchedi, the organizing committee's chief strategy officer, believes in modeling a sustainable future for the Olympic movement and broader social transformation. She asserts, "This is the point where we have to change."
As the world grapples with climate change, the future of the Winter Olympics remains uncertain. Will we witness a new era of rotating hosts and earlier games? Or will the beloved winter sports tradition fade away? The answers lie in the hands of global efforts to combat climate change and the innovative solutions we devise to keep the Olympic flame burning bright.
