TOKYO OLYMPICS – Towards a SUSTAINABLE and EQUITABLE World

Guided by the concept of ‘Be better, together – For the planet and the people’, the Tokyo Olympics have been both innovative as well as sustainable on many fronts. From the hydrogen-powered cauldron to medals and podiums made from recycled material, the games have certainly blazed a trail for a sustainable future. Here are a few remarkable initiatives deployed at Tokyo Olympics that contributed towards building a better and sustainable world through sport.

THE MEDAL PROJECT –

Do you know that the metals used to make approximately 5000 medals given at #tokyoolympics2020 were extracted from used electronic devices donated across Japan. From 78,985 tons of donated devices – about 32 kg of Gold, 3500 kg of Silver and 2200 kg of Bronze was extracted. This year’s medals are the first to be made entirely from recycled materials and certainly a commendable initiative to promote #sustainability goals

REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE – The Olympics had a strong focus on the 3Rs, and many initiatives were taken to promote the concept apart from the prestigious Medal Project

• The OLYMPIC TORCH was made using aluminium waste from temporary housing built in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake
• The T-shirts and Trousers which were worn by the torchbearers were made from recycled plastic bottles collected by #Coca-Cola
• Out of the total 43 VENUES, only eight were built from scratch while others were remodelled and retrofitted with advanced building technologies to reduce energy consumption
• For TRANSPORTATION, a range of zero-emission vehicles including fuel cell Electric Vehicles were provided by #Toyota in line with Japan’s carbon reduction goals
• About 18000 BEDS used during games were made from recycled cardboard
• The games also promoted carbon neutrality with much of the energy coming from renewable sources

OTHER REMARKABLE INITIATIVES

Gender Equality – The Tokyo Olympic Games were also the first gender-balanced Olympic Games with 49% female participation. Also a dedicated department of Female Athlete Medicine was set up for the first time to provide comprehensive medical support for female athletes

Diversity & Inclusion –  Under the tagline of ‘Know Differences, Show Differences’, the Organizing Committee had a specialized department dedicated to Diversity & Inclusion.

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