The Winter Olympics
The Alps have hosted the Winter Olympics on a number of occasions, most recently in Turin in 2006. With Milano-Cortina, the 2026 Winter Games will once again be held in the Italian Alps, despite vociferous criticism. In 2030, the French Alps will be the venue for the Olympic competitions. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is striving for ‘sustainable games’, but this claim has failed every time so far.
A review of the experience gained as a result shows that, in democracies such as Alpine countries, the Winter Olympics face an uphill challenge. People are no longer willing to accept their escalating magnitude, impact on the environment, incalculable costs, or the diktat of the all-powerful IOC. With the Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC wants to strive for more transparency and sustainability, but the plans for the 2026 Winter Games in Cortina and Milan paint a different picture. This collection of field reports, arguments and technical information illustrates why there is no longer any room in the Alps for the Winter Olympics in their current form.
Articles on the topic
Winter Olympics on shaky ground
Use as much concrete and steel as possible: that seems to be the sustainability strategy for the Winter Olympics in the Italian Alps. Mountain communities are particularly affected. The icing on the cake is the construction of a new cable car on a slippery slope in Cortina.
Point of view: Winter Games need to face reality
Major events promise modernity, revitalisation and global visibility. In the Alps, however, these promises are now being made in territories marked by the climate crisis, depopulation and, at the same time, growing tourist pressure. Looking closely at Milan-Cortina 2026, what emerges is not only a celebration of sport, but one of the largest public and infrastructure investment programmes ever concentrated in the Alpine area – with effects that are set to continue well beyond the time of the competitions, says Vanda Bonardo, president of CIPRA Italy.
Winter sports reach a tipping point
Hydrologist Carmen de Jong warns of the ecological consequences of Alpine ski tourism. Her research shows that, without a rethink, the industry is heading for its demise.
Further information
Feb 17, 2026