TL;DR
Organizers of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games say nearly all Olympic and Paralympic venues will run on certified renewable electricity, using Italy’s grid and energy company Enel’s guarantees of origin to cut planet-warming emissions, even as travel by athletes and fans remains the biggest climate challenge.
Why This Matters
Winter sports depend on cold, reliable snow. Yet scientists warn that, as the climate warms, the number of places that can safely host a Winter Games is shrinking. That puts extra pressure on host cities to show they can stage major events while cutting carbon pollution.
For Milan-Cortina 2026, organizers have framed energy use as the area where they can make the largest, most immediate impact. Venue power and snowmaking have historically been major drivers of emissions at the Winter Olympics. By pledging that Games-time electricity will be fully covered by certified renewable sources, Italy is testing what a lower-carbon Olympics might look like in practice.
The effort also fits into a wider shift. The International Olympic Committee has made sustainability a central goal in recent years and expects future hosts to rely more on existing venues, cleaner power, and smarter infrastructure. What happens in northern Italy will be watched by other sporting bodies and cities around the world that are struggling to balance economic benefits with environmental costs.
Key Facts & Quotes
The Milan-Cortina 2026 organizing committee says its Games-time electrical energy will be 100% “green,” supplied through certified renewable sources. Italy’s largest electricity provider, Enel, is supplying about 85 gigawatt-hours of power for the Olympic and Paralympic events, according to statements shared with reporters.
To back this up, Enel has purchased “guarantee of origin” certificates, a European system created in 2001. Each certificate represents one megawatt-hour of power produced from a certified renewable source. These certificates are traded, then canceled once used, to ensure the same clean megawatt-hour is not counted twice and to help companies meet green energy targets.
In cases where temporary generators are needed, organizers say they will replace conventional diesel with hydrotreated vegetable oil, a lower-carbon fuel. Enel has also built new primary substations and upgraded distribution lines in mountain areas such as Livigno, Bormio, and Arabba, investments that will remain after the Games.
Enel said its role “translates the values of sustainability and inclusion inherent in the Games into concrete terms, combining technological innovation and environmental protection.” But some analysts caution that certificates alone do not change the physical mix of Italy’s national grid, which still relies heavily on fossil fuels. “The Games can only be as clean, or as sustainable, as the whole of Italy,” said Matteo Villa, who leads the data lab at an Italian foreign policy think tank.
Organizers of the Winter Games made clean energy a priority. Here’s how they did it https://t.co/71uhxcO4ng pic.twitter.com/PG3xCGLANn
— The Oakland Press (@TheOaklandPress) February 21, 2026
Even with cleaner electricity, travel remains the toughest problem. The organizing committee estimates total greenhouse-gas emissions from the Games will be comparable to about 4 million average gasoline cars driving from Paris to Rome, with the largest share tied to accommodation and spectator and athlete transport, especially air travel. Julie Duffus, the International Olympic Committee’s head of sustainability, said, “Every Games we strive to push innovation in sustainability, reduce the overall impact and the carbon footprint,” highlighting clean power and the use of existing or temporary venues as key steps.
What It Means for You
For most viewers, the Milan-Cortina Games will be watched from home, but the choices made in Italy point to how major events everywhere may change. Sports leagues, concert organizers, and city governments are under rising pressure to show how they are cutting emissions from power use, construction, and travel.
That could mean more events powered by certified renewable electricity, wider use of lower-carbon fuels, and greater scrutiny of how fans and teams get to venues. Over time, ticketing, travel recommendations, and even the number of in-person spectators could shift as organizers try to meet climate goals.
For households, these moves are another sign that the broader energy transition is moving from policy documents into everyday life – from how electricity is sourced to how we move around. Watching how Milan-Cortina handles energy and travel may offer a preview of what to expect at future Olympics and other large gatherings.
How much responsibility do you think major sporting events should take for cutting emissions from the fans and teams who travel to attend them?
Sources: Official statements and sustainability reporting from the Milan-Cortina 2026 organizing committee and Enel (through Feb. 2026); International Olympic Committee sustainability and legacy strategy documents (adopted 2021); International Energy Agency country data on Italy’s electricity mix (most recent pre-2026 assessments).
