IOC to consider rotating host cities for Winter Games amid climate change concerns
Cami Mondeaux
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The International Olympic Committee is reportedly considering a rotation of host cities for the Winter Games as officials continue to examine the effects of climate change over the next several decades.
The IOC has not yet decided which city will host the 2030 Winter Games as officials continue to discuss the impact of climate change, pointing to a report that indicates a possible reduction in the number of eligible host cities. During a meeting earlier this week, officials voiced a number of proposals to ensure climate reliability in cities that have the resources necessary to host the Olympics.
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The 2030 decision is likely to come down to two contenders, including Salt Lake City and Sapporo, Japan.
The IOC is set to consider a number of proposals for how to address the impact of climate change on future Olympic Games. One such suggestion was to implement a rotation of host cities, which would guarantee the same pool of cities holding the games every 20 to 30 years rather than require countries to continually rebid for a chance to host.
“The rotation actually is an intriguing opportunity because we have everything in place,” Fraser Bullock, the CEO of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, told the Salt Lake Tribune. “We have different economics than a new city that doesn’t have venues in place. We have the expertise … we have competitions all the time.”
Olympic officials are also considering whether to implement requirements for Olympic host cities to maintain average minimum temperatures of below 0 degrees over a 10-year period. Other officials have considered giving the 2030 and 2034 Olympic Games as a double award to one city as a way to create a sense of stability.
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“The new, flexible approach to electing Olympic hosts was designed so the IOC could respond swiftly and effectively to ever-changing global circumstances, for the benefit of the athletes, all Olympic Games participants, and the whole sports movement,” IOC member Octavian Morariu said in a statement.
The IOC has not yet made a final decision on how it will proceed with future Olympic games, and it’s not clear when they’ll make an announcement. Two cities in Italy, Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, are set to host the 2026 Winter Olympics.