Rio 2016 to offset 3.6m tonnes of carbon

The Rio 2016 Olympic organising committee will offset 3.6 million metric tonnes of carbon emissions - the total amount expected to be created by the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The estimate takes into account all emissions from operations, venue construction, city infrastructure and spectators.

Dow Chemical, Rio 2016’s carbon partner, will offset 2 million metric tonnes of carbon to help reduce the carbon footprint of the Games and will improve energy efficiency in agriculture, industry and infrastructure.

The Rio de Janeiro state government will be responsible for offsetting the remaining 1.6 million metric tonnes.

The organising committee said that this will be partially offset through the planting of trees, with the remainder being compensated through restoration programmes in the Atlantic Forest and other projects targeting a low-carbon economy.

The committee added that it will also reduce emissions through several initiatives, including using intelligent design to reduce the amount of materials needed, sustainable procurement across the supply chain and the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable alternatives.