EU 동향

Promoting Sustainability

The Paris 2024 Olympics are described as the greenest and “the most sustainable” in history, aiming to limit carbon emissions to around 1.75 million tons and run on 100% renewable energy. This is significantly lower than the average of 3.5 million tons of carbon from previous summer Olympics like the Tokyo 2020, Rio 2016, and London 2012.[3] In addition to avoiding and reducing emissions, the Paris 2024 sustainability strategy will incorporate offsets, investing in numerous other environmental and social projects meant to last. Instead of tailor-made venues and apartments, 95% of the games will be held on existing or temporary infrastructures, and the athletes will sleep in the Olympic Village powered by geothermal and solar energy.[2] The village itself will house about 3000 apartments containing a total of 14250 beds, with mattresses manufactured from recycled fishing nets. It will also incorporate rooftops with enclosures and openings, as well as approximately 9,000 trees around the village, to attract and house different species of birds and insects. After the Paralympics are over on September 8, the village that contains 82 buildings will be converted into office space and apartments to house others.[3]

Increased Risks of Political Unrest

Despite efforts for sustainable development, the upcoming Olympics also face unique challenges. For instance, the global visibility of the Olympics confers some groups an incentive to act for their different causes. Indeed, risks of attacks from terrorist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda that view France as a symbol of Western values and policies they oppose also exist, since France is involved in military operations against them in the Middle East and Africa.[4] Paris’s history with terrorism further elevates these risks during the Olympics: the January 2015 Charlie Hebdo attacks and the November 2015 attacks on a football stadium exposed French security infrastructure’s vulnerability whilst highlighting the ease at which terrorists could strike at the heart of French society. Worse, the recent snap elections for parliament that deepen the left vs. far-right battle and conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza that lead to street protests over invitations of certain country’s athletes further deteriorate the already dire current global political climate.[5]

Human Rights Issue in the Broader Light

Some have criticized how the Olympics were being used as a medium for eliminating undesirable capital of populations, especially those who are homeless around Paris. While the state pleaded for innocence, organizations working in support of unhoused people have underscored the acceleration of relocating homeless people around Paris to smaller cities across the country. Despite the policy being in the test phase, it is set to run until the end of the year leading to accusations of a “social cleanse” ahead of the Games.[6] France has also experienced domestic unrest recently from the Nanterre riots in June 2023, which highlighted broader social issues such as unemployment, poverty, and exclusion in banlieues, suburban areas where youths may feel marginalized from mainstream society. The sense of alienation felt by these young people in banlieues makes them susceptible to online propaganda by extremist groups that often offer a sense of belonging and purpose in exchange for allegiance to radical causes. They may feel additionally disenfranchised during global events like the Olympics due to the increased potential of such digital indoctrination.[4]