Climate change is making the Winter Olympics harder to host

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illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: The future of the Winter Olympics is in jeopardy as global warming increasingly impacts the availability of natural snow in host locations
• Studies predict that by 2080, fewer than 20 cities could meet the climate criteria to host the Games, threatening the viability of winter sports globally

🔭 The context: Winter sports depend heavily on cold weather, but climate change is raising temperatures and decreasing snowpack in many of the most traditional host cities
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has warned that with current emissions projections, by 2050 only 52 locations will remain climate-reliable, and by 2080, only 46
• The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics is expected to use nearly 100% machine-made snow due to rising temperatures in the region

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: This stark reality underscores the critical role of climate action
• If global emissions aren’t reduced, not only will winter sports suffer, but the very essence of the Winter Olympics could fade away, especially impacting the Paralympics and other vulnerable winter sports

⏭️ What’s next: Experts suggest adapting the timing of the Games or considering other climate-resilient solutions to preserve the future of winter sports
• However, the most important step remains addressing the underlying issue: reducing global emissions

💬 One quote: “The future of the Winter Olympics is definitely in jeopardy… the Olympics was built for the world to take a break and for everybody to come together and be united through sport,” said Olympic snowboarder Bea Kim

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