The Tokyo Olympic Games originally planned to for summer 2020 has gone through a year of obstacles due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The games is now postponed to be held in the summer of 2021, but their devotion to incorporate sustainability in the games has remained solid. In this article, we will take a look at the various sustainability endeavors of the Tokyo 2021 Games.
The concept of the Tokyo 2021 Games is as follows: “Be better, together [For the planet and the people]. With this fundamental concept, the Tokyo Games designed the tournament to fit with the United Nations agenda, “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals introduced in 2015. Through this guidance, Tokyo Olympics aims to have a successful and sustainable event to set a legacy for future games and sporting events.
The three fundamental concepts of the Tokyo Games are Climate Change, Resource Management, and Natural environment and Biodiversity. Firstly for climate change, the Tokyo Games aims towards zero carbon emissions during all phases of the Games. They plan to use existing facilities for competition venues to reduce carbon emissions by 80,000tons. Initially, they planned to utilize public transportation in between travel, which I assume is now adjusted due to the pandemic. The Games also focus on zero waste through resource management and states that 99% of items and goods procured will be reused or recycled. They also aim to minimize food waste, excessive packaging, and used donated timber from regions throughout Japan, which would be reused by the communities after the Games. In their final concept of natural environment and biodiversity, the Games aims to construct a sustainable stadium design in the middle of Tokyo. They integrated plants and a rich ecological network to improve the harmony of nature in the Tokyo metropolis.
It is refreshing to see Tokyo take a big stance on incorporating sustainability in the Tokyo Olympics. Nonetheless, such standards are expected from a country like Japan with vast resources and a platform to make changes. Although the pandemic was an unfortunate and adverse situation for the Tokyo Games, their efforts toward sustainability is loud and clear.