The Green Games: A Perspective of the Paris 2024 Olympic Village

With the 2024 Olympic Games now underway, the city of Paris is surely buzzing with excitement as thousands of athletes flood into the French capital to compete at the highest level. The Games have become a major economic opportunity for any nation tasked with hosting them, and this has been reflected without exception by France’s attempt to construct a ‘sober’ and environmentally responsible Olympic Village, at an estimated cost of around $2 billion.

Housing, feeding, and entertaining the around 14,500 athletes who will compete at this year’s Olympic Games (and the 9,000 Paralympians scheduled to move in afterwards) represents a colossal task. In total, the Athletes’ Village spreads itself across 82 buildings, which contain around 3,000 apartments and 7,200 rooms. A centrally-located dining hall aims to serve 40,000 healthy meals a day – other facilities include a police station, a hairdresser, a multi-faith centre, and a non-alcoholic bar. In the rooms, the infamous cardboard beds of the Tokyo Olympics have also made a triumphant return – although the ‘intimacy ban’ that accompanied them has reportedly been lifted.

The “mini-city”, as it is often described, has been in the making for almost seven years, and aims to be the most sustainable purpose-built accommodation in competition history. The eco-friendly approach and low-carbon design received near-universal praise from climate-conscious critics, but among athletes and Olympic Committees, it has not gone without resistance.

Dozens of athletes have testified to the extreme discomfort of competing in high temperatures

Paris currently has the highest risk of heat-related deaths of any European city, and with summer temperatures set to soar yet again this year, many nations have expressed concern about the complete lack of air-conditioning units installed within the village. Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo has repeatedly justified the use of a system of cool water pipes running through floorboards as an alternative to energy-inefficient AC, stating that: “This village was designed to avoid the need for air conditioning, even in very, very high temperatures.”

For many Olympic Committees, the performance of athletes has to come first. The USA was the first country to declare that they would be bringing portable air-conditioning units to the Games for their athletes to use, a decision mirrored subsequently by several other prominent nations such as Canada, Germany, Greece, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Sarah Hirshland, Director of the US Olympic Committee, defended the decision by stating how: “In our conversations with athletes, this was a very high priority and something that the athletes felt was a critical component in their performance capability.” Matt Carroll, representing Australia, put the situation in much blunter terms: “It is a high performance Games. We’re not going for a picnic.”

The situation is perhaps even more difficult for nations unable to provide their athletes with suitable air-conditioning arrangements due to financial restrictions, even if they wished to. In recent years, dozens of athletes have testified to the extreme discomfort of competing in high temperatures, and reported dangerous side effects such as cognitive impairment and compromised cardiovascular function. France’s decision to move away from air-conditioning may seem to many as ignorant of athletes’ needs, neglecting the very people who make the Olympic Games such an important and exciting moment for the nation.

It is refreshing to see a sustainable approach to the logistical problem of athlete housing

On the other hand, the extensive infrastructure of the Olympic Village must be seen as more than purpose-built accommodation. With plans for the Village to become a commercial and residential district already scheduled for as soon as 2025, the renewable and sustainable design used gains a new meaning. Air-conditioning units are relatively rare in France, and seen in less than ¼ of all households. It is unlikely that future residents will need air conditioning at all – making the decision to use alternative cooling systems a long-term investment.

Though weathering some criticism, the Paris 2024 Olympic Village looks to be one of the most advanced and impressive facilities of its kind in competition history, perfectly equipped to offer a home away from home for the athletes of 206 participating nations. As both the sporting standard and political importance of the Olympics continues to increase, it is refreshing to see a sustainable approach to the logistical problem of athlete housing, which has kept the impact of climate change on the Games themselves in mind.