Games of Control, Influence, and Concern: Identifying and Interrogating the Carbon Footprint of the Brisbane 2032 Olympics

At the outset, the Brisbane 2032 Olympics were contractually obliged to be delivered as “climate positive” Games, raising questions about event organizers’ ability to mitigate the carbon footprint of global sport events. In addressing this issue, our study aims to a) estimate the carbon footprint of the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and b) examine to what extent and how sport event organizers can control or influence its carbon footprint. Based on the IOC Carbon Footprint Methodology, we estimate the total Brisbane 2032 Olympics carbon footprint to be 3,948 kt CO2 under a business-as-usual scenario. With 46% of the carbon footprint stemming from Construction, 32% from Operations and 22% from national and international spectator travel, bolder mitigation initiatives across the structure, scope and design of the event concept are needed to truly achieve climate positive Games. In the context of the Circles of Influence framework, we critically discuss implications and offer recommendations for sport event managers and policy makers.