Winter Games climate goals clash with environmental reality, putting sustainability claims to the test

The Winter Olympics and Paralympics have, for decades, been a celebration of snow, cold and mountains — a global showcase for sports built on reliable winter conditions. 

But as temperatures rise and snowfall becomes harder to count on, that foundation is far from solid — and environmental experts say Olympic organizers are still overselling how “sustainable” the Games can be.

With Italy set to host the next Winter Olympics in just weeks, followed by the Paralympic Games in March, that tension is already shaping planning decisions, infrastructure choices and climate promises, and exposing how hard those promises are to keep.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has acknowledged the problem. A 2024 study it commissioned found that only about half of previous Winter Olympics host cities would still be cold enough to host the Games by the 2050s.

A November 2025 ski-resilience index tracking snow reliability ranked many resorts as increasingly vulnerable, with Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Alpine town and main site of the upcoming Games, squarely in the middle. Researchers say that raises doubts about what happens once the Olympic spotlight fades.

Still, the IOC insists its climate goals remain on track.

Is the future of the Winter Olympic Games in danger?

It aims to cut carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and now requires host cities to rely almost entirely on existing or temporary venues.

Snow competition sites, it says, must remain “climate reliable” — meaning they have to be cold and snowy enough to hold events without excessive technical intervention — until at least mid-century.

Temperatures in the Italian Alps are already above long-term averages. February highs in Milan can reach 10.2 C. In Cortina, the average