(Ned Snowman / Shutterstock.com)
The world’s largest sports event impacts much more than the athletes, coaches, viewers, staff, and more who come together to witness athletic greatness. Society, the environment, and the economy all feel the effects before, during, and after the competition.
As Japan has made huge strides to overcome a pollution crisis, the host country wants to spread their green efforts on a global stage. “We are now facing global sustainability challenges such as climate change, depletion of natural resources, loss of biodiversity, human rights issue such as discrimination, and aging,” the 2020 Tokyo Olympics website says.
By doing their part and creating the theme around sustainability, the committee wants to inspire not only people from Japan but from all over the world to do their best to reduce waste. Organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games recently announced that the games will be solely powered by renewable energy.
The organizing committee will work with power companies and buy renewable energy and solar panels to power the stadiums, press office, athlete’s village, and all other venues used for the games. As for what they’ll do with the structures, and supplies after the games?
The committee said everything will be recycled and reused and will opt to rent materials, instead of purchasing new goods. In line with their goals, all raw materials (paper, oils, timber, etc.), will be sustainable.
In the spirit of reaching greatness, the official website states: “Japan and Tokyo have overcome serious pollution issues and become a mature society. We are now facing global sustainability challenges such as climate change, depletion of natural resources, loss of biodiversity, human rights issue such as discrimination, and aging."
“Thus, the sustainability concept of the Games is set as ‘Be better, together – For the planet and the people.’”
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