With the Paris Olympics fast approaching under the shadow of the climate crisis, activists and advocates continue to raise questions about the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) commitment to one of three pillars of the Olympic Agenda: sustainability.
And for good reason. Despite optimistic rhetoric from the IOC and host committees, environmental exploitation by host nations, and the suppression of opposition to such exploitation, have remained a troubling feature of the Olympic Games throughout the 21st century.
If the IOC’s philosophy of Olympism truly embraces the “harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity,” why are environmental issues surrounding the Games consistently overlooked?
