IOC to Delay 2030 Winter Olympics Host City Decision Due to Climate Change Concerns

Image: maxoidos, Adobe Stock

On December 6, 2022, the International Olympic Committee announced that they intend to delay the decision for the 2030 Winter Olympics host city, due to climate change concerns.

In a comprehensive report, the Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games presented to the IOC that research shows the possibility that the pool of climate-reliable host cities will be reduced and that the Winter Sports Federation are already making adjustments to their event calendars and possibly competition formats to account for climate change. Going forward the commission proposes that host cities can demonstrate average minimum temperatures below 32F, 0C over a 10-year period leading up to the games.

“There are concerns about the future of the Winter Games,” said Jacqueline Barrett, IOC Future Olympics Games Hosts Director about the meeting”…there was a recognition that we all hold a common responsibility to ensure that there is a long term future for winter sports.”

The 2026 Winter Olympics are to be held in In Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. According to NBCSports, the IOC has been in conversations with representatives of Sapporo, Japan, Salt Lake City, USA, and Vancouver, Canada about hosting in 2030.