In 2012 Anthesis, led by Craig Simmons, helped London 2012 become the greenest Olympic games by developing an award winning carbon management strategy. The methodology that was developed raised the sustainability bar for future world class events. Here Craig reflects on the Rio Olympic games as they take on the baton for becoming the “greenest Games ever”.

Much internet chatter has surrounded Rio’s decision to proselytize on climate change in the Olympic opening ceremony. Though staging an extravaganza on the scale of the Games is one of the more costly forms of communication, talk – as the old saying goes – is relatively cheap. What is the Rio Olympics actually doing to address the climate change impact of the event and spread best practice to audiences worldwide?

As one of the authors of London 2012’s carbon management strategy, I was particularly keen to understand how Rio was running with the green mantle. A lot of time has passed since we first set London on track to becoming the ‘greenest Games ever’. London won the honour of hosting the Games almost a decade ago and that is when the real work started. Since then we have seen a lot of changes in climate change policy and practice. The climate science has advanced, the political consensus has grown, the carbon markets have consolidated and new standards have been developed. All culminating in the historic Paris Agreement.

Looking through Rio 2016’s carbon management report, I was struck by how closely they have followed the example set by London. In fact, the methodology used for calculating the event’s carbon footprint and the broad strategy for managing the resulting greenhouse gases is almost identical. Superficially, it is a methodological ‘carbon copy’.

Comparing the overall carbon footprints of Rio 2016 and London 2012 provides only a crude indication of the relative focus on climate change. Although London’s baseline footprint was slightly lower than Rio’s, the difference is not significant given the distinct nature of the host cities. What is most important is how Rio has responded to the challenge of climate change. Have they made advances since London building on the growing carbon awareness since then, or merely sought to consolidate and replicate the successes of 2012?

My initial reading is that, disappointingly, Rio’s approach to carbon a bit too similar to that of London. Don’t get me wrong, there are some impressive commitments. The Abraça carbon mitigation partnership looks set to deliver substantial legacy carbon savings and the Atlantic Rainforest restoration project will make a worthy contribution to protecting and enhancing natural capital. And Rio could have done a lot worse that emulating London.

But I am left with the impression that Rio could have done more to reflect some of the advances in carbon management since 2012. For example, I have seen little evidence of the application of science-based targets, or carbon pricing. I was also hoping, and expecting, to see a more rigorous approach to the evidencing and reporting of measures to mitigate carbon emissions. For example, since London, the PAS 2060 standard on carbon neutrality has been extended to specifically cover events. There have also been advances in the measurement of embodied carbon in buildings and infrastructure.

To be fair, there is still time for Rio to showcase its carbon prowess. They could, as did London, publish a post-Games sustainability report which picks up on previously undocumented environmental initatives and captures new learnings.

So, does Rio greenness extend beyond the colour of its pool water? The judges are still undecided. But, when the medals for carbon management are being awarded, I predict that Team GB will hold on to the gold.

 To find out more about our award winning carbon management strategies or how Craig can help your world class event better manage its greenhouse gas emissions and go carbon neutral please contact Craig directly at: craig.simmons@anthesisgroup.com or @thefootprinter.