Winter Olympics on shaky ground

Despite geological concerns, public opposition and a negative environmental assessment, a new gondola lift is being built in Cortina on a slope prone to landslides. Renowned cable car companies did not even bid for the problematic construction project – and for good reason: just last summer, a 40-metre-long crack opened up across the slope. Until recently, it remained unclear whether the cable car would even be ready in time for the Winter Olympics.

Compulsory administration instead of environmental compatibility

Initially, the Milan-Cortina 2026 Foundation invited environmental organisations to discuss the environmental impact of all construction projects. However, this led to a breakdown in relations, with the foundation placing the construction sites under compulsory administration. As a result, more than half of all construction projects were exempted from environmental impact assessments. In response to this lack of transparency, a citizens’ network, “Open Olympics 2026”, was formed with twenty partner NGOs, including CIPRA Italy. According to the network, more than half of all 98 planned construction projects will not be completed until after the Winter Games, and they fall into the “legacy” category for the Games’ operating company. Most of these are road construction projects. A total of 3.5 billion euros is being invested: three quarters of all construction work will not be completed on schedule, some with delays of up to three years. The last construction site is scheduled for completion in 2033. In contrast, the controversial €118 million bobsleigh track in Cortina was built in record time. In Antholz, South Tyrol’s biathlon and cross-country skiing mecca, 2.5 hectares of forest in a local recreation area were cleared to build a new reservoir for snowmaking on the cross-country trails, despite resistance from the local population. “Milan-Cortina 2026 highlights the huge gap between aspiration and reality at the Winter Olympics. Instead of sustainable development, only the construction industry benefits, at the expense of the local people, environment and nature. After all, the Alps are a sensitive habitat, not a playground for short-term interests”, says Jakob Dietachmair, Managing Director of CIPRA International. In its new position paper, CIPRA calls for comprehensive reforms by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the host countries. 

Further information and comments from the CIPRA network

Sources and further information: 

www.repubblica.it/green-and-blue/2026/01/12/news/olimpiadi_milano-cortina_2026_cabinovia_tofane_impatto_ambientale-425089858/ (it),  www.gmx.at/magazine/sport/olympia/winter/naturschuetzer-befuerchtet-olympia-ruine-winterspielen-41636538 (de), www.mountainwilderness.org/2025/12/29/open-olympics-third-report-on-the-milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics/ (en),  tirol.orf.at/tv/stories/3337737/ (de), salto.bz/de/article/13012026/olympische-windelspiele (de), www.youtube.com/watch?v=72t-ORJ4ZaM (de),  www.zdfheute.de/politik/ausland/winterspiele-nachhaltigkeit-olympia-2026-100.html (de),  www.rainews.it/tgr/tagesschau/video/2026/01/noch-wenig-olympisches-in-cortina-3e35d27a-8030-4a0a-9c2c-8b4ca57d765f.html (de), www.umwelt.bz.it/news-medien/presse/wasservernichter-olympia-in-cortina-und-livigno-muss-zu-100-beschneit-werden-doch-das-wasser-fehlt-1083/ (de, it), https://protectourwinters.it/lezioni-imparate-da-milano-cortina/ (it), www.fr.de/panorama/olympia-baustelle-reisst-krater-erde-italien-dorf-erdrutsch-katastrophe-winterspiele-2026-cortina-93937594.html (de),  https://salto.bz/it/article/16012026/questa-cabinovia-e-una-vergogna (it), www.club-arc-alpin.eu/ (de, en),  www.ilpost.it/2026/01/22/a-cortina-ci-sono-piu-cantieri-che-neve/ (it)

Club Arc Alpin : Common position on the topic of sustainable organization of large sports events in the alpine region (de, en, published in January 2026)