The Paris Olympics is celebrating a lot of firsts. Alongside Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024 is one of the first Olympics to achieve gender parity and use (super cool) recycled materials for its olympic medals. But Paris stands out as the first Olympic host to cut its carbon emissions by half, and by offering an unprecedented open-air, inclusive Opening Ceremony with athletes parading on boats down the River Seine.
In the third installment on the Paris Olympics blog series, we’ll take a look into the Opening Ceremony’s innovative approach and extensive sustainability efforts undertaken to mark this momentous occasion.
The Opening Ceremony: A historic setting
For the first time in Olympic history, the Opening Ceremony will not take place in a stadium. Instead, Paris is taking the bold step of hosting the ceremony along the Seine. The choice of location underscores a commitment to making the Olympics accessible to a broader audience, expecting to attract hundreds of thousands of spectators along the riverbanks and bridges of Paris.
The River Seine runs through the heart of Paris and is intertwined with the city’s cultural and historical identity. By using the river as the centerpiece for the Opening Ceremony, the organizers of the 2024 Olympics aim to showcase the beauty and iconic landmarks of Paris to the world, creating a memorable and distinctly Parisian experience. The route passes by famous monuments such as Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower, providing a stunning backdrop for the event.
Paris has undertaken significant efforts to clean the river, making it a symbol of ecological renewal. By highlighting the Seine in such a prominent manner, Paris 2024 sends a strong message about the importance of waterway conservation and urban ecological projects.
The River Seine: An ambitious €1.4 billion clean-up
Paris has the goal of making the Seine clean enough to swim in for the first time in 100 years. Paris’ €1.4 billion, historic clean-up was motivated by the desire to make the river clean enough for competitions and other activities planned for the Olympic Games. (July 15, 2024 update: No events will be held in the Seine.) Beyond the Olympics, by summer 2025 the plan is to have multiple open-air swimming areas accessible to the public.
How are they doing it?
The ambitious cleanup project involves a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach. Authorities have targeted homes upstream and houseboats on the Seine that were discharging sewage directly into the river, mandating their connection to Paris’ sewage network. This was part of an Olympic law adopted in 2018, which also includes improvements to sewage treatment plants on the Seine and its tributary, the Marne.
A large portion of the clean-up budget was allocated towards developing a new storm drain system and a massive underground storage tank capable of holding 45,000 cubic meters of water. This will help mitigate overflow during rainstorms, aiming to substantially reduce sewage discharge into the Seine.
A celebration of French culture and global unity
The river-based Opening Ceremony embodies a blend of tradition and innovation, setting new standards for how the Games can engage with urban environments and the global community. Breaking away from the tradition of stadium-bound ceremonies creates an inclusive approach to the opening ceremony, allowing more people to witness the ceremony first-hand.
The decision to utilize the heart of Paris as the venue underscores a desire to bring the celebration closer to the people, making it a truly public event in ways previous Olympics have not achieved.
Are you ready for Paris? Check out the rest of the series to catch up:
- The 2024 Paris Olympics: Sustainability and innovation in action
- Solar’s role in the 2024 Paris Olympics
Featured image by Luca Dugaro.
