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He said it all, Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics It is estimated that it will cause the loss of 5.5 square kilometers of snowpack and 34 million metric tons of glacial ice. Without emissions from the event’s three main sponsors, these numbers would be much lower: 2.3 square kilometers of snow and about 14 million metric tons of glacial ice.
That’s according to A January report From the New Weather Institute, which worked with Scientists for Global Responsibility and Champions of the Earth to determine the environmental impacts of weather. 2026 Winter Olympics Whether or not organizing the Games harms winter sports that are most affected by climate change. What they found is that while the Games themselves generated significant carbon emissions, emissions from three of the event’s main sponsors – Italian energy company Eni, carmaker Stellantis, and ITA Airways – could give the event a much larger carbon footprint.
The report’s authors argue that promoting these companies in games would lead to increased emissions “due to increased sales of high-carbon goods and services” provided by these sponsors.
The report claims that Eni is responsible for more than half of the total emissions from the three largest sponsors, followed by Stellantis and Eta. While the report acknowledges the difficulties involved in obtaining accurate estimates of companies’ carbon emissions and the size of Olympic sponsorship deals, it claims that the additional business those companies would gain from their participation in the Games could account for 1.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. This is 40% more than the Olympics’ direct footprint, which is estimated at 930,000 metric tons.
This means an additional loss of 3.2 square kilometers of snowpack and more than 20 million metric tons of glacial ice, on top of the 2.3 square kilometers of snow and 14 million metric tons of ice already affected by the Games themselves. In other words, this report argues that the Winter Olympics contribute to the decline in the relevance of the sports they celebrate.
In response to the findings, an Eni representative told WIRED that the report provided a biased estimate of the company’s contribution to emissions from gaming. The company also noted that “more than 90 percent of the fuel supplied by Eni to operate the Games is derived from renewable raw materials,” adding that its support for the Games is largely focused on the supply of energy products and services and does not generate additional climate change activities.
ITA responded to a request for comment by noting that “sustainability is a cornerstone of ITA Airways’ development strategy” and pointed to its newer, more fuel-efficient fleet and its plans to use sustainable aviation fuel. The Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation, which was contacted directly about the environmental impact of the Games, declined to comment. Stellantis did not respond to requests for clarification on its Olympic-related sustainability initiatives.
Winter sports are They are becoming increasingly rare due to their vulnerability to the effects of global warming. The numbers bear witness to an emergency already underway. In the past five years, Italy, the host country of the Games, has lost 265 ski resorts. France, which will host the 2030 Winter Olympics, has seen more than 180 resorts in the Alps. More than fifty ski lifts and cable cars have been closed in Switzerland. With each iteration, the games become increasingly reliant on artificial snow.
Of the 93 sites with the infrastructure needed to host the Winter Olympics, only 52 will be “climate reliable” by the 2050s if global emissions continue at roughly their current rates, according to a new report. Study 2024 Commissioned by the International Olympic Committee. By the 2080s, that number will drop to 46.