After Tokyo 2020, it’s Paris 2024’s turn to take the stage. Beyond an assured sporting communion, the Olympic Games offer the possibility to the host country to highlight several aspects. The Organizing Committee for the 2024 Olympic Games thus aims to combine economic, social and environmental responsibility with the notions of responsibility, sustainability and inclusiveness. Right from the bid, the organization of Paris 2024 placed questions of heritage and sustainability at the heart of its project to inspire new standards: Games serving the territories, which constitute opportunities for local economic players, a carbon halved compared to previous editions and Games integrating the principles of the circular economy. Paris 2024 offers a new organizational model for Games open to all, which will leave a lasting mark on our society and put more sport into the lives of French people .
“These Games will be magical”
Beyond a simple impact, legacy refers to material and immaterial aspects, in the medium or longer term. It encompasses several areas, and continues to develop over the years and changes in society. According to the IOC’s definition, the Olympic legacy “is the fruit of the implementation of a common vision, resulting from the meeting of two visions: that of the Olympic Movement which aspires to build a better world through sport, and that of a territory that seeks to achieve this objective in a given spatio-temporal context. With its Heritage and Sustainability plan, Paris 2024 has six major ambitions:
- Promote the sports practices of the French
- Shine around the world through innovation and culture
- Accelerate the ecological transition
- Fueling Olympic ambitions
- Building the infrastructure of tomorrow
- Engage the population around the Games
“Our goal is to have an impact. Of course these Games will be magical. We will do everything to ensure that they are unprecedented, promises Tony Estanguet, President of the OCOG 2024. But that is not enough, we want to use these years before the Games to develop the place of sport. The material heritage, the infrastructures, it is good, but it is not the finality. The purpose is to get the French moving. It is the human factor that will make the difference. »
Promote the sports practices of the French
The first of the six major objectives of Paris 2024 lies in the development of the practice of sport by the French. It consists in making sport durably accessible to the greatest number of people, in order to promote physical activity and its values to the whole population, and in particular among the youngest. This project is already underway and includes the implementation of thirty minutes of daily physical activity in primary school. Erected with the support of the Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports, more than 5,000 schools, colleges and high schools, and 84 Universities have already been labeled Generation 2024. By hosting the Olympic Games, the country host therefore has the opportunity to revitalize an entire population, and to democratize the practice of sport. For example, After the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992, the proportion of inhabitants practicing physical activity at least once a week rose from 36% (1883) to 51% (1995). Moreover, after the London Olympics in 2012, a new British school curriculum required all primary school pupils to practice a competitive sport. A new youth strategy also saw the light of day, planning to invest £1 billion and create 6,000 new sports clubs within five years of the Games. Education holds an important place in the Olympic Games and is one of its fundamental principles. By hosting the Games, the host country has the opportunity to create a new dynamic. The international event allows the launch of new training programs for coaches, but also the creation or renovation of better facilities and the acquisition of new equipment, always with the aim of promoting sports practice to the greatest possible extent. number, and especially to the next generation of Olympians. “The Games are much more than a sporting event. In addition to fulfilling the dreams and achievements of young athletes, the Games are the ideal setting for champions to prepare the ground for future generations, said Jacques Rogge, former IOC President. They also give host cities the social responsibility to leave a positive legacy. The IOC is firmly committed to ensuring that this legacy is as beneficial as possible.” but also the creation or renovation of better facilities and the acquisition of new equipment, always with the aim of encouraging the practice of sport by as many people as possible, and in particular the next generation of Olympians. “The Games are much more than a sporting event. In addition to fulfilling the dreams and achievements of young athletes, the Games are the ideal setting for champions to prepare the ground for future generations, said Jacques Rogge, former IOC President. They also give host cities the social responsibility to leave a positive legacy. The IOC is firmly committed to ensuring that this legacy is as beneficial as possible.” but also the creation or renovation of better facilities and the acquisition of new equipment, always with the aim of encouraging the practice of sport by as many people as possible, and in particular the next generation of Olympians. “The Games are much more than a sporting event. In addition to fulfilling the dreams and achievements of young athletes, the Games are the ideal setting for champions to prepare the ground for future generations, said Jacques Rogge, former IOC President. They also give host cities the social responsibility to leave a positive legacy. The IOC is firmly committed to ensuring that this legacy is as beneficial as possible.” always with the aim of promoting the practice of sport to as many people as possible, and in particular to the next generation of Olympians. “The Games are much more than a sporting event. In addition to fulfilling the dreams and achievements of young athletes, the Games are the ideal setting for champions to prepare the ground for future generations, said Jacques Rogge, former IOC President. They also give host cities the social responsibility to leave a positive legacy. The IOC is firmly committed to ensuring that this legacy is as beneficial as possible.” always with the aim of promoting the practice of sport to as many people as possible, and in particular to the next generation of Olympians. “The Games are much more than a sporting event. In addition to fulfilling the dreams and achievements of young athletes, the Games are the ideal setting for champions to prepare the ground for future generations, said Jacques Rogge, former IOC President. They also give host cities the social responsibility to leave a positive legacy. The IOC is firmly committed to ensuring that this legacy is as beneficial as possible.” the Games are the ideal setting for champions to prepare the ground for future generations, said Jacques Rogge, former IOC President. They also give host cities the social responsibility to leave a positive legacy. The IOC is firmly committed to ensuring that this legacy is as beneficial as possible.” the Games are the ideal setting for champions to prepare the ground for future generations, said Jacques Rogge, former IOC President. They also give host cities the social responsibility to leave a positive legacy. The IOC is firmly committed to ensuring that this legacy is as beneficial as possible.”
Building the infrastructure of tomorrow
The Olympic Games, as real springboards, offer the host city the possibility of preserving much more than memories. While the changes can be social, as mentioned above, they can also be material and tangible. Hosting an event of international scope necessarily requires appropriate equipment and infrastructure capable of accommodating thousands of athletes and spectators. Once the Olympic Games are over, the infrastructures created or renovated for the occasion must be amortized over the longer term. Thus, the organizers are required to ensure the functionality of the venues, their durability and their adaptation to post-Olympic use. For example, the facilities built in London for the 2012 Olympics were designed with legacy in mind, so much so that the Olympic Stadium hosted the World Championships in Athletics five years later, in 2017. The Olympic Stadium in Stockholm, built for the 1912 Games, is still used today, and continues to host other major events. However, not all transitions are equally successful, and some unused or even abandoned stadiums are referred to as “white elephants”, i.e. achievements of prestigious scales ultimately proving less beneficial than their manufacture will have been expensive. This is for example the case of the Olympic Stadium in Seville, built for the Games of 2004 or 2008, finally awarded to Athens and Beijing… So that its equipment does not sink into oblivion once the glory is over, Paris 2024 will mainly rely on already existing structures, or ephemeral ones such as for volleyball, for example. “Paris will use all its infrastructures, from each apartment to the Stade de France, to try to insert the games into an existing urban fabric, thus sounding the extinction of the white elephants” justifies Mathieu Mercuriali, architect and urban planner. Also, the accommodation offered for the occasion will help create the Paris of tomorrow. “On the accommodation part, the Olympic and Paralympic village will then offer a district where 6,000 inhabitants and 6,000 employees in the tertiary sector will live, and the media village alone will represent approximately Paris 2024 will rely mostly on existing structures, or ephemeral as for volleyball for example. “Paris will use all its infrastructures, from each apartment to the Stade de France, to try to insert the games into an existing urban fabric, thus sounding the extinction of the white elephants” justifies Mathieu Mercuriali, architect and urban planner. Also, the accommodation offered for the occasion will help create the Paris of tomorrow. “On the accommodation part, the Olympic and Paralympic village will then offer a district where 6,000 inhabitants and 6,000 employees in the tertiary sector will live, and the media village alone will represent approximately Paris 2024 will rely mostly on existing structures, or ephemeral as for volleyball for example. “Paris will use all its infrastructures, from each apartment to the Stade de France, to try to insert the games into an existing urban fabric, thus sounding the extinction of the white elephants” justifies Mathieu Mercuriali, architect and urban planner. Also, the accommodation offered for the occasion will help create the Paris of tomorrow. “On the accommodation part, the Olympic and Paralympic village will then offer a district where 6,000 inhabitants and 6,000 employees in the tertiary sector will live, and the media village alone will represent approximately from each apartment to the Stade de France, to try to insert the games into an existing urban fabric, thus signaling the extinction of the white elephants” justifies Mathieu Mercuriali, architect and urban planner. Also, the accommodation offered for the occasion will help create the Paris of tomorrow. “On the accommodation part, the Olympic and Paralympic village will then offer a district where 6,000 inhabitants and 6,000 employees in the tertiary sector will live, and the media village alone will represent approximately from each apartment to the Stade de France, to try to insert the games into an existing urban fabric, thus signaling the extinction of the white elephants” justifies Mathieu Mercuriali, architect and urban planner. Also, the accommodation offered for the occasion will help create the Paris of tomorrow. “On the accommodation part, the Olympic and Paralympic village will then offer a district where 6,000 inhabitants and 6,000 employees in the tertiary sector will live, and the media village alone will represent approximately1,300 family homes, 20% of which are social housing. Paris 2024 is a laboratory for inventing the city of tomorrow, a city for people”.
Accelerate the ecological transition
A real catalyst for change, one of the key points of the Heritage and Sustainability Plan led by Paris 2024 is based on the objective of delivering exemplary Games on the environment. The eco-responsible event, a vehicle for sustainable solutions, will be aligned with the Paris Agreement and the UN’s 2030 Agenda, with the aim of benefiting from the legacy left by the Olympics. This eco-responsible strategy is based on four pillars: climate, biodiversity, circular economy and environmental resilience. It is reflected in several ways: “supply of renewable electricity during the Games, sustainable catering, zero waste objective during the event, fleet of clean vehicles for transporting the Olympic and Paralympic family, accessibility of sites by public transport and mobility sweet for the spectators, integration of circular economy principles for permanent and temporary constructions, deployment of sustainable technology; Enhancement, preservation and regeneration of biodiversity on Olympic and Paralympic sites. Georgina Grenon, Director of Environmental Excellence at the OCOG, adds: “In the fight against and adaptation to climate change and faced with the urgency of preserving and regenerating biodiversity, we have decided to make the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 an opportunity. By giving us the means to guarantee our own exemplarity. By accelerating the deployment of innovative solutions for spectacular and sustainable events, by working with all the players in the Paris 2024 family so that our methods and achievements leave a material and immaterial legacy. We have all the keys in hand to make Paris 2024 a step in the ecological transformation of sport. Before Paris 2024, several organizations have shown their strong interest in ecology. The Sydney Games in 2000, for example, led to the restoration of approximately 160 hectares of degraded land and the creation of one of Australia’s largest urban parks. For their part, the organizers of the London 2012 Games “set new standards for sustainable construction and development practices by integrating the principles of sustainability into all aspects of preparation for the Games”. For the first time, an independent commission was even created with a view to monitoring and publicly evaluating the efforts made in terms of sustainability. The edition of the 2012 Games was also described as a “great success” by this so-called commission, in particular thanks to the transformation of a former industrial wasteland into 100 hectaresof parks, thus becoming the largest urban park in Europe.
Shine around the world through innovation and culture
Beyond the social, urban and environmental pillars, the idea of highlighting the country’s culture and using the event to showcase French know-how is essential. Several highlights of the Olympic Games are part of the cultural programme: the opening and closing ceremonies, the medal ceremonies and the culture of Olympism. These different highlights offer spectators from all over the world a glimpse of the culture of the country, and more particularly of the host city, its customs, its history and its way of life. It is also an opportunity for organizers to openly celebrate their culture, while promoting their national pride and sharing a sense of integration and belonging. Reference in this field, the Organizing Committee for the London Olympic Games launched the London Festival in 2012, “the culmination of the four years of the Cultural Olympiad. The three-month-long event became the biggest cultural event in British history. More than 25,000 artists from 204 countries performed in 13,000 shows and performances at 1,200 venues across the country. A huge success, the 2012 London Festival attracted 19.8 million people and left the country with a legacy of 176 permanent works of art. from 204 countries performed in 13,000 shows and performances at 1,200 venues across the country. A huge success, the 2012 London Festival attracted 19.8 million people and left the country with a legacy of 176 permanent works of art. from 204 countries performed in 13,000 shows and performances at 1,200 venues across the country. A huge success, the 2012 London Festival attracted 19.8 million people and left the country with a legacy of 176 permanent works of art.
Employment, a game to be played
The Paris 2024 Games will be those of an entire country. An emblematic international event, the Olympics will allow an entire population to get involved in the heart of the organization. Thus, during and after the event, the creation, development and maintenance of jobs will be an integral part of the project. To do this, the Ministry of Labor has set up a local and national multi-year action plan, aimed at organizers and economic players, “aiming to rely on mapping to anticipate long-term employment and in skills, designing a repository of skills common to participation in a major international event to build sustainable career paths, stimulate the voluntary commitments of companies to recruit locally in order to create continuity between all the major projects in Île-de-France”. For example, preparations for the London 2012 Olympic Games were, according to independent experts, “a major factor in the 1.2% drop in the unemployment rate at the start of the year when the Games are expected to create some 17 900 additional jobs per year between 2012 and 2015”. In addition, the construction of the new Olympic Park in London has made it possible to hire nearly 46,000 workers, of whom approximately 10% were unemployed before working for the event. 2% of the unemployment rate at the start of the year while the Games are expected to create some 17,900 additional jobs per year between 2012 and 2015”. In addition, the construction of the new Olympic Park in London has made it possible to hire nearly 46,000 workers, of whom approximately 10% were unemployed before working for the event. 2% of the unemployment rate at the start of the year while the Games are expected to create some 17,900 additional jobs per year between 2012 and 2015”. In addition, the construction of the new Olympic Park in London has made it possible to hire nearly 46,000 workers, of whom approximately 10% were unemployed before working for the event.
The sports industry generates about 2% of GDP, according to the Sports Economics Observatory. The sports activities sector recruits and evolves three times faster than in the economy as a whole. There are nearly 154,000 jobs in sport, according to a study by the Ministry of Sports, published in 2018. Sport having become an industry like any other, it now needs professionals who are perfectly trained in the sector and who mainly understand the language of sport. “The Sport Management School allows future professionals to integrate the sports business network, particularly with the prospect of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, as well as the 2023 Rugby World Cup and all the other major events. Indeed, the Olympic Games will boost this sector, generating thousands of jobs. This is already the case,
Fueling Olympic ambitions
By virtue of all the aspects mentioned, the legacy left by the Olympic Games is also financial. The popularity and scope of the event are an undeniable opportunity for the organizers. “One of the most significant economic impacts of hosting the Games is the increased level of economic activity and output, or increase in GNP (gross national product), recorded by host cities. For example, the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 allowed an increase in GNP of the order of 6.7 billion, creating more than 100,000 jobs and increasing the number of tourists by nearly 1.6 million per year. Thus, the OCOG 2024 says that hosting the biggest event in the world will change the country. “Hardly. We want sport and its finest values to emerge and impose themselves in people’s lives. We want all companies to mobilize and demonstrate new ways of exchanging and working. We want innovative solutions to emerge and be implemented. We want new collaborations to be initiated. We want awareness of environmental issues to go further. We want to prove that we can do something exceptional while being sustainable. We want to build for cities and people. We want to surprise with a respectful heritage for the younger generations. » We want new collaborations to be initiated. We want awareness of environmental issues to go further. We want to prove that we can do something exceptional while being sustainable. We want to build for cities and people. We want to surprise with a respectful heritage for the younger generations. » We want new collaborations to be initiated. We want awareness of environmental issues to go further. We want to prove that we can do something exceptional while being sustainable. We want to build for cities and people. We want to surprise with a respectful heritage for the younger generations. »
“Paris 2024 must leave a legacy”
In summary, several keys must be found for the Paris 2024 Games to have a strong and positive impact on the future of France:
- Mobilize all companies, large and small
- Appeal to all audiences, including those furthest from employment
- Mobilize jobs , and generate useful training even outside the Games _
- Initiate new collaborations between different entities to mix talents and workforces
- Promoting the most innovative companies in the fields of integration , ecology and production _ _ _
- Have a positive impact on the environment
- Build all this virtuous dynamic on the basis of a methodology that will continue after the Games as part of a tangible and intangible heritage
The organization of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games presents itself as an engine of economic development for France with the objective of leaving a positive mark on the population and changing the face of society through sport. “Leaving a lasting legacy is a fundamental commitment of the Olympic Movement. All cities hosting the Olympic Games temporarily represent the Olympic Movement. It is a great responsibility, warned Jacques Rogge, former President of the IOC. And it is also a great chance. The host cities attract worldwide attention. All have a unique chance: to celebrate the human spirit. And all leave exceptional environmental, social and economic legacies that can change a community, region and country forever. The Games indeed offer a unique opportunity to initiate positive and lasting change, not only in the host city, but also in the region and the host country. “With all of the Paris 2024 stakeholders, we have decided to make these Olympic and Paralympic Games both an impetus to put more sport into people’s lives and a new model for organizing major events,” says Tony Estanguet. This is the meaning of our entire Heritage & Sustainability strategy, co-constructed and implemented collectively. Paris 2024 must leave a legacy. » we have decided to make these Olympic and Paralympic Games both an impetus to put more sport into people’s lives and a new model for organizing major events, says Tony Estanguet. This is the meaning of our entire Heritage & Sustainability strategy, co-constructed and implemented collectively. Paris 2024 must leave a legacy. » we have decided to make these Olympic and Paralympic Games both an impetus to put more sport into people’s lives and a new model for organizing major events, says Tony Estanguet. This is the meaning of our entire Heritage & Sustainability strategy, co-constructed and implemented collectively. Paris 2024 must leave a legacy. »
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