Rio 2016 Olympics Release Sustainability Plan

Following in the footsteps of earlier Olympic hosts, the organizing committee for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro unveiled the first version of its Sustainability Management Plan earlier this year. Expanding upon the motivation in Rio’s successful bid to host the Games, the plan is the organizing committee’s roadmap “to combine the power of Olympic and Paralympic sports with the enthusiasm and festive spirit of the residents of Rio – Cariocas – to bring sustainable advantages to Brazil and the city of Rio de Janeiro.”The plan, like those of London and Vancouver, focuses on finding ways to reduce the environmental impact of hosting this legacy event. Among the areas being tackled by the committees are:

• transportation and logistics
• sustainable construction and urban improvements
• environmental conservation and clean-up
• waste management
• universal accessibility
• management transparency

The plan also highlights the technical cooperation agreement the committee has crafted with the United Nations Environmental Program. “An event the size of the Olympic Games is an excellent opportunity to implement and disseminate sustainable practices,” UNEP representative Denise Hamú said about the partnership. “This is the first time that the Olympics will be organized in South America, a crucial region for biodiversity conservation that has a vocation for developing low-carbon economies.”Read more and download the complete sustainability plan here.Related Articles:London Olympics Set Bar for Waste Diversion at Legacy EventsUSOC Training Facility Renovations to Enhance Performance & Sustainability