The 2018 Winter Olympics have begun and the energy is overflowing.  

Years of preparation have gone into creating the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and much of it involved building the infrastructure to support an event of such epic proportions.

The First Olympic Winter Games to Obtain ISO 20121

 Let’s start with an look at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games from their massive sustainability report.

One of the most impressive tidbits is that in July 2016,  the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games became the first Olympic Winter Games to obtain ISO 20121, also known as the Event Sustainability Management System.

 This international standard is used to create a work system that not only minimizes the local communities use of materials, energy consumption and environmental, economic and social impact, it guarantees positive benefits for those communities.

Low-Carbon Green 2018 Olympics

This strategy of ISO 20121 calls for low-carbon green Olympics through a recycling infrastructure, sustainable construction, strengthened cooperation network, self-sufficient renewable energy, established green transportation and minimized carbon emissions by 40 percent.

The strategy also includes the stewardship of nature, which ensures biodiversity, restoration of damaged nature (including 57 hectares of alternative forest in Baekdudaegan Protection Areas), a water supply infrastructure and purification of polluted water.

 Between the nine Olympic venues and Olympic Villages this winter, greenhouse gas emissions are expected to be cut by 17,721 tons during the Games.

Energy-Saving Games

Digging deeper into ISO 20121, when you’re watching the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, you’re watching a sporting event where the recycling infrastructure includes a new high-speed train and 20 charging stations for 300 electric and hybrid vehicles that’ll reduce 245 tons of CO2eq.

Plus there will be self-sufficient renewable energy in the form of geothermal power plants, solar energy and a wind power generation complex that whips up 102.7 MW.

Sustainable construction?

Yep. That’s led by the Alpensia Sliding Centre, Gangneung Ice Arena, Kwandong Hockey Centre and the Olympic Village, all of which are G-SEED certified. And that’s only the tip of the ice.