Forecasting Milano Cortina 2026: How climate change could redefine future Winter Olympics
The future of the Winter Olympics is facing a challenging predicament as climate change continues to reshape the landscape of winter sports. Recent data has revealed a concerning statistic: by the 2050s, only half of the 21 previous host cities of the Winter Olympics would have suitable conditions to host the Games due to the effects of climate change. As global temperatures rise, winter sports are being forced to adapt worldwide, with cancelled competitions, safety concerns, and an increased demand for artificial snow becoming more prevalent.
During the last winter sports season, 26 out of 616 World Cups were cancelled due to a lack of snow. This trend is concerning for athletes like Marion Thenault, a Canadian freestyle skier and climate advocate, who has noticed changing temperatures on the ski hill over the years. She predicts a “slushy” Winter Olympics when Italy’s Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo host in 2026. Despite these challenges, athletes and federations are taking action to adapt to climate change in winter sports.
In response to the growing impact of climate change on winter sports, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has launched a two-year sustainability plan called the Impact Programme. This initiative aims to reduce the carbon footprint of FIS activities and events, with a focus on strategic scheduling to minimize the need for artificial snow and avoid event cancellations.
Researchers are urging the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to rethink the execution of future Games in light of climate change. A recent study on the reliability of hosting Winter Olympics suggests that if greenhouse gas emissions are reduced or stabilized, every past host city should be able to host until the 2050s. The IOC has committed to reducing its carbon emissions and is aiming for a 50% reduction by 2030.
The Winter Paralympics are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with only a third of host cities projected to remain climate reliable in the 2080s if emissions are low. To address these challenges, suggestions have been made to host the Paralympics at the same time as the Olympics in February to ensure climate reliability and adapt to changing conditions.
Looking ahead, hosting future Winter Olympics across multiple regions where infrastructure is already built for the Games is being considered as a potential solution. This approach could spread the cost and celebrate different regions while ensuring climate reliability for the events. The IOC is open to exploring new ways to adapt to climate change and shape the future of winter sports and the Olympic Games.
