Representatives of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo have announced that the event will be 100% powered by renewable energy.
The “unprecedented” initiative means that everything from the press office to the athlete’s village and the stadiums will be powered by sustainable energy sources. To achieve this target, the organizing committee plans on installing solar panels and buying renewable energy from power companies.
Additionally, 99% of the buildings, supplies, and materials will be reused or recycled after the games. The committee says that they will be leasing and renting as many goods as possible for the event. If the product can not be leased, then the committee plans on dedicating special attention towards how the product will be recycled or reused after the games.
According to the Olympic sustainability goals, the committee also plans on utilizing fuel cell vehicles. The committee has projected a 65% recycling goal for items such as water bottles and food, which is slightly higher than the London Olympic recycling goal.
Finally, all the raw materials needed for the events, including timber, paper, oil, and agricultural products will be sustainably sourced.
The Olympic website says: “Japan and Tokyo have overcome serious pollution issues and become a mature society. We are now facing global sustainability challenges such as climate change, depletion of natural resources, loss of biodiversity, human rights issue such as discrimination, and aging.
“Thus, the sustainability concept of the Games is set as ‘Be better, together – For the planet and the people.
