Climate change meets sport: Wildfire-recovering Los Angeles gears up to host Summer Olympic Games
online event
About this Event
Over five billion people are expected to watch the 2028 Olympic Games, but their climate angle may not receive the attention it deserves. The city is simultaneously recovering from devastating wildfires as it gears up to host mega-sporting events. As Los Angeles prepares, it faces a critical challenge: can the Olympic preparations increase climate resilience, drive new mobility patterns, reshape urban policy, and reimagine sporting events? Organisers said that the next Olympics could become a model for what a more sustainable global event can look like, and pledged to use only existing or temporary venues as well as minimise car use. Still, questions remain: are these efforts enough to strengthen resilience ahead of the next climate disaster? Can the Olympics continue to provide a stage for athletic prowess in the face of climate change? And how do wildfire recovery efforts interact with the pressure to put on a standout global show?
LA’s experience rebuilding from the climate disaster while preparing to host FIFA World Cup matches this summer, the Super Bowl in 2027, and the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games offers a unique glimpse into the future of mass sporting events in the face of intensifying global warming – and what they mean for host cities.
What is happening to mitigate their impact? How do the Olympics have to change to address the climate risks they face? And can the needed investments to prepare cities for the influx of sporting fans lead to better mobility options, the expansion of clean infrastructure, and more resilient open spaces in the long term?
In this one-hour webinar, open to all, we’ll discuss the answers to these questions, drawing on LA’s experience.
Our correspondent Carolina Kyllmann, returning directly from the city with her first-hand investigation, will be joined by Climate Home News journalist Joe Lo, who has reported on the threats climate change poses for athletes, and by LA-based journalist Alissa Walker, who runs Torched, where she extensively covers the city’s mega event planning and urban infrastructure changes.
Clean Energy Wire | CLEW
Clean Energy Wire CLEW is an international hub for climate and energy journalism. CLEW reports independently on the stories that matter for the move to climate neutrality in Europe with well-contextualised news, factsheets and in-depth analyses. We collaborate with journalists across the globe who cover the world’s biggest story. We empower journalists with training and research support. With an active network of almost 600 journalists and a track record of collaborating with nearly 2,000 media professionals since 2014, CLEW possesses a unique infrastructure to strengthen evidence-based reporting and counter disinformation. https://www.cleanenergywire.org/
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