Nairobi, 1 March 2006
– Contrary to some suggestions that the
Winter Olympics were held too far from the
mountains, Torino may in fact have shown
the way towards even more environmentally
friendly Winter Olympics, the head of the
UN Environment Programe (UNEP) said today.
“By locating in the city centre several
key events, such as figure skating or ice
hockey, along with accommodation for athletes
and the media, the organizers have dramatically
increased the likelihood that these buildings
and structures will be sustainably used
in the future for sports, other leisure
activities and housing,” said Klaus Toepfer,
UNEP’s Executive Director.
“During the two weeks of competition this
is likely to have increased commuting and
transportation between the urban areas and
the events staged in more rural, mountainous
locations. But over the longer term the
environmental impacts are likely to be positive,”
he said.
“Indeed locating more and more Olympic events
away from sensitive rural areas and into
city centres with good access to public
transport-- especially if this contributes
to urban renewal and renovation of redundant
buildings and structures-- may be an environmentally
sound step forward for future games,” added
Mr Toepfer.
UNEP has been collaborating with the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) for over a decade
and worked closely with the Torino Organizing
Committee (TOROC) before and during the
Games.
It believes the 2006 Winter Olympics underlined
the growing importance of the environment
for those staging sporting and public entertainment
events.
Eric Falt, Director of UNEP’s Division of
Communications and Public Information which
runs the organization’s 'sport and the environment'
programme, said: “We have been most impressed
with the environmental measures and commitments
made by the TOROC from their climate change
initiatives and dedication, to the use of
local stone and wood up to their adoption
of ‘green’ environment management systems
such as EMAS and ISO 14001”.
He said UNEP, which signed a cooperation
agreement in Torino during the Games with
the International Association of Athletics
Federations, would want in future to work
more closely with individual federations
and bodies to ensure that the environment
is factored into sporting events from the
outset.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that
incorporating sustainable development measures
at the earliest possible stage of the planning
process makes it easier to meet higher and
more meaningful environmental goals,” added
Mr Falt.
The final score card for Torino’s environmental
legacy is likely to emerge over the coming
months. But UNEP believes some lessons may
have already been learned.
“One area that the IOC might wish review
is the issue of recycling of sporting infrastructure.
Take bobsleigh for example. TOROC did a
great job to try and mitigate its environmental
impact. But the fact remains that constructing,
operating and maintaining what is effectively
a huge fridge in the mountains raises many
fundamental questions of sustainability,”
said Mr. Toepfer.
The organizing committee has estimated that
the track and equipment, also used to stage
luge and skeleton events, cost around 70
million Euros to build.
It has cut a 1,435 metre ‘ravine’ complete
with 19 bends through the mountainside.
The freezing system uses 48 tonnes of ammonia,
a substance that is friendly to the ozone
layer but raises concerns about the impacts
of any possible leaks.
TOROC is considering using the bobsleigh
track at Cesana Pariol as a bobsleigh school.
It has been designed to allow “juniors and
kids” to practice.
However, the maintenance costs could be
anywhere between 100,000 Euros and one million
Euros annually which may be far more than
the income generated by visitors.
In contrast, the ski jump venue in Pragelato
blends into the landscape through sensitive
design that works with the natural gradients
and contours of the location.
Other measures include the use of passive
solar heating, rainwater drainage systems,
special fabrics for stabilizing soil on
the slopes and the establishment of ecological
corridors to allow wildlife to cross.
In respect of some events like bobsleigh,
future organizing committees might consider
re-using and upgrading existing tracks and
stadia rather than building new ones if
such facilities are convenient or nearby.
The next Winter Olympic Games is scheduled
to be staged in Vancouver, Canada in 2010.
The IOC could for instance consider upgrading
the bobsleigh facilities built for the 1988
Games held in Calgary.
Notes to Editors
For more information on the Torino Winter
Olympics, please visit http://www.torino2006.org
UNEP’s Sport and Environment web site http://www.unep.org/sport_env/
In 1994 UNEP and the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) signed a Cooperative Agreement
in which both organisations agreed to promote
environmental considerations in sport events
of the Olympic Movement.
UNEP is represented on the IOC Sport and
Environment Commission, which meets regularly
to review environmental issues as they relate
to the Olympic Games and to advise the IOC
Executive Board on environmental issues.
In November 2005, UNEP signed a Memorandum
of Understanding with the Organizers of
the Beijing Olympic Summer Games 2008. Under
the terms of the agreement UNEP will work
closely with the Beijing Organizing Committee,
offering expert advice and support in the
development of relevant environmental reports.
There are also plans for far reaching educational
and public awareness campaigns to further
increase the impact of staging environmentally
sustainable Olympic Games.
The Olympic Movement itself has declared
the environment to be the third dimension
of Olympism, alongside sport and culture.
The Centennial Olympic Congress, held in
Paris in 1994, devoted part of its debates
to sport and the environment. Its final
document called, among other measures relating
to the environment, for the inclusion in
the Olympic Charter of a provision underlining
the necessity of preserving the environment.
The Olympic Charter was subsequently amended
in 1996.
UNEP has developed an active Sport and Environment
Programme to promote the links between sport
and the environment. In February 2003 the
UNEP Governing Council adopted a long-term
strategy on sport and the environment, which
seeks to further reinforce UNEP’s work in
this field. The strategy also seeks to strengthen
partnerships with sports organisations and
federations, and specifically requests UNEP
to initiate cooperation with Olympic host
cities.
