Milano–Cortina 2026 Is Almost Here — But How Sustainable Is It, Really?

Sabrina Bravi
5 days ago
4 min read

The Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics is scheduled for 6 February 2026, drawing global attention not only to sport, but to the Games’ sustainability promises. While organisers have committed to ambitious environmental, social, and governance (ESG) targets, the critical question remains:

How much has been achieved — and what is still on paper?

Ambitious Sustainability Goals

Milano–Cortina 2026 has embedded sustainability into its official planning documents. The inaugural Sustainability, Impact & Legacy Report (2023) lays out a comprehensive strategy for:

Renewable energy and low-carbon operations
Circular economy practices in construction and materials
Environmental protection and biodiversity preservation
Social inclusion, local economic engagement, and legacy planning

While this is a strong framework on paper, the real measure of success is delivery, transparency, and measurable impact. (milanocortina2026.olympics.com)

What Has Been Delivered — And What Hasn’t

At the same time, independent monitoring groups and media reports have flagged real gaps between commitments and measurable outcomes:

Independent monitoring reports indicate that less than 10% of planned projects are completed, with only 6 out of 59 works finished. The majority remain under construction, in design, or in tender phases. (rinnovabili.net)
60% of planned projects did not undergo a formal Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), while only 16% had any form of environmental verification, and 23% were still being reviewed to determine if an EIA was necessary.
Construction of the new bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track in Cortina reportedly required the removal of ~500 century-old larch trees, raising concerns about fragile Alpine ecosystems.
Key elements of the Games’ carbon footprint remain unpublished, including emissions from construction, logistics, and operations. This lack of transparency represents a governance gap, making it challenging to verify whether sustainability pledges are being implemented in practice.

This doesn’t mean sustainability has failed — some infrastructure and reporting frameworks are in progress — but it means the picture is incomplete and measured outcomes are not yet transparent.

What the Numbers Actually Tell Us

Environmental groups, local communities, and national media have highlighted measurable, concrete impacts:

In Cortina, construction works linked to Olympic infrastructure have affected ~19,900 m² of woodland, with ~1,199 m³ of timber cut in just a few days — equivalent to about 12 years of ordinary forest management. (altreconomia.it)
Organisers have committed to planting over 10,000 new trees (12:1 replanting ratio), but environmental experts note that new plantings cannot immediately replace mature forest ecosystems, particularly in fragile Alpine environmentfragile Alpine environments.

Post-Vaia timber note: Some of the timber used in Olympic construction comes from the post-Vaia salvage program, following the 2018 Vaia storm in the Dolomites. While repurposing fallen trees reduces the need to cut new timber and lowers transport emissions, environmental experts caution that this cannot fully compensate for the loss of mature forests or the ecological impact of large-scale construction projects.

Beyond Forestry — Broader Sustainability Concerns

Large-scale infrastructure works, including roads and railways, progress without a consolidated carbon footprint published.
Around €3 billion worth of infrastructure will be completed after the Games, in some cases as late as 2030–2033, raising questions about whether these works serve the Games or broader territorial development.
Local communities, particularly Ladin representatives, have publicly criticised the lack of consultation during planning phases. Social consent and governance are as essential as environmental offsets in credible ESG reporting. (Il Nordest)

A Record-Setting Step Toward Gender Equality

A measurable positive outcome for Milano–Cortina 2026 is gender balance in athlete participation — a key component of ESG social and governance performance:

Female athletes will represent ~47% of the total quota, the highest proportion in Winter Olympics history. (olympics.com)
Of 2,900 athlete spots, ~1,362 are allocated to women and ~1,538 to men. (milanocortina2026.olympics.com)
Among 116 medal events, 50 are women’s events and 12 are mixed events, creating the most balanced competition programme to date. (thenewsmarket.com)

Critical insight: While this is an important measurable achievement, full equity — including leadership, funding, and post-event representation — still remains a work in progress.

Why This Matters for ESG Credibility

Milano–Cortina 2026 demonstrates a key ESG lesson for all events:

Sustainability is not defined by commitments alone — it is defined by timing, transparency, and accountability.

Even strategies like tree-planting ratios, circular material sourcing (e.g., post-Vaia timber), and renewable energy plans can appear performative if cumulative environmental impact isn’t transparently reported.

For organisations tracking ESG rigorously, this distinction is critical.

Key Takeaways for Event Organisers

Measure early and continuously — ESG tracking should start in planning, not post-event.
Engage stakeholders locally — social consent and community participation are part of sustainable governance.
Be transparent about gaps — delays, incomplete projects, or partial data must be reported honestly.
Integrate legacy from day one — sustainability is long-term; mature forests, community engagement, and infrastructure reuse all take time.
Track social and gender metrics — measurable outcomes like female participation are key ESG indicators.

Data Sources

Sustainability, Impact & Legacy Report 2023 — Milano–Cortina 2026: Link
Independent civic monitoring of EIA and project completion — Rinnovabili.net: Link
Partner ESG data on renewable fuels — Eni: Link
Local community and governance insights — Il Nordest: Link
Media coverage of environmental and infrastructure progress — Reuters/AP news on alpine ecosystems and delayed infrastructure: Reuters
Prima e dopo Milano Cortina. L’impatto delle opere visto dall’alto, da Cortina a Livigno — Altreconomia: Link
Gender balance & event programme data — Olympics official site: Link