Activists of the C.I.O Comitato Insostenibili Olimpiadi (Unsustainable Olympics Committee) show a banner in Italian reading: “Milano-Cortina 2026, from the mountains to the city, unsustainable Olympics,” as they march in Milan, northern Italy, on Feb. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
The Conversation: The treatment of environmental activists at Olympic Games contradicts IOC’s Olympism ideals
As written in The Conversation by Adam Ali (Western University), jay johnson (University of Manitoba), MacIntosh Ross (Western University)
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.
Research at the University of Manitoba is partially supported by funding from the Government of Canada Research Support Fund.