1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,800 With the opening of the Turin Winter Olympics on February 10th, 2 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:09,320 the eyes of the world will be on Europe. The Games will bring hundreds of 3 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:13,200 thousands of competitors, journalists and spectators to its alpine valleys. 4 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:17,480 They've also meant the construction or renovation of many permanent and 5 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:18,560 temporary structures, 6 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:22,680 which place great pressure on the environment, as this environmentalist 7 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:23,520 explains. 8 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:28,520 Most damage is done by the permafrost, 9 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:32,160 most damage is done by the permanent structures, the ones which can't be 10 00:00:32,160 --> 00:00:35,200 dismantled and which will leave indelible scars in the future. 11 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,960 But we hope that this will be positive for sport because these 12 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:40,600 infrastructures are an investment. 13 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,720 The other concern is energy consumption, 14 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:47,960 which becomes gigantic when you organize an event like this that attracts so many 15 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:48,640 people. 16 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:55,640 Today, anyone thinking of hosting the Games has to take care of the environment, 17 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:00,520 taking environmental problems into account. 18 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:04,880 Paolo Rebellino is the Organizing Committee's Head of Sustainable Development. 19 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:11,880 The IOC has been working on the environment since the Rio de Janeiro 20 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:13,160 conference 21 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:17,360 and has defined the environment as the third main pillar of the Olympic 22 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:19,080 movement after sport and culture. 23 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:22,120 This means that already at the application stage, 24 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:26,400 we paid particular attention to the environment. 25 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:33,600 To reduce the impact of the Games on the environment, 26 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:37,320 the Organizing Committee made full use of several environmental protection 27 00:01:37,320 --> 00:01:37,800 tools 28 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,280 made available by the EU. Notably, it joined 29 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:45,080 EMAS, the European Environmental Audit and Certification System. 30 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:49,760 This system allows any organization, currently some 4,000 in Europe, 31 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:54,320 to better identify their environmental problems, define a strategic plan and 32 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:55,440 technical solutions, 33 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:59,640 and then have the application and its effects certified in a transparent way 34 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:01,240 by independent experts. 35 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:08,240 EMAS allowed us to manage all the projects we've chosen 36 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:17,360 and develop them in a structured, systematic way. 37 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:21,960 EMAS meant we could involve all sections of the committee 38 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:24,960 and have their support. 39 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:30,120 This means that not only did the environmental department work on the 40 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:30,880 environment, 41 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:35,160 but all departments, thanks to the environmental management system, 42 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:41,280 worked on the environment. And so green was the color of the entire 43 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:42,280 organization. 44 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:46,800 The Olympic Village, for example, was designed to be a model of sustainable 45 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:47,600 architecture, 46 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,400 as Ugo Pretato, Director of Environmental Programs, 47 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:55,280 explains. 48 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:59,320 We established a set of specifications for the designers of the village. 49 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:03,920 Among the solutions linked to energy saving 50 00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:07,320 is the use of 2,000 square meters of solar panels, 51 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:11,680 placed on the roofs of the buildings to heat water for the bathrooms. 52 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:18,680 With south-facing windows, reinforced insulation, 53 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,960 low-consumption lighting and collection of rainwater for the gardens, 54 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:25,680 the Olympic Village applies a whole series of energy-efficient solutions 55 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:30,680 of which the future tenants will be the first beneficiaries. 56 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:35,680 These buildings will initially house the athletes during the Olympic Games, 57 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:40,680 after which they'll be rented to families by the city of Turin. 58 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:45,680 EMAS certification has mobilized all the players in the village 59 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:48,680 and this man in particular. 60 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,680 Here they call him Mr. Olympics. 61 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:56,680 Cesana is a small village which is home to 1,000 people in the heart of the Alps. 62 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:00,680 Roberto Serra had been its mayor for only three days when the area was 63 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:04,680 designated to host several elements of Olympic infrastructure. 64 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:07,680 Needless to say, he knows the project inside out. 65 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:10,680 For six years now, between weddings and planning applications, 66 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:13,680 the mayor has been preparing his village for the Olympics. 67 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:21,680 It's a historic event of fundamental importance for Cesana 68 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:29,680 because the Games will allow us to enter the club of the world's most important tourist centers. 69 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:32,680 Are the Games really a godsend? 70 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,680 From an economic point of view, certainly, 71 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:40,680 but there's no question of accepting them at any price if it's to the benefit of the people. 72 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:45,680 But there's no question of accepting them at any price if it's to the detriment of the environment. 73 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:47,680 The electorate is very watchful. 74 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:54,680 The mountains are often more exploited than managed. 75 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:01,680 People are very perplexed, 76 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:07,680 which is why particular attention has been paid to the way these projects are implemented. 77 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:16,680 This is what's pushed the municipal authorities to request European EMAS certification as well, 78 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:21,680 in exchange for which it's received help from specialists to identify all the points to be improved 79 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:25,680 and to establish a sustainable management plan for the environment. 80 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:31,680 Today, for example, the mayor is inspecting the water tanks which supply the snow cannons. 81 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:40,680 The project designers were not authorized to take water from the springs on the mountain slope. 82 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:50,680 They have to pump it up from the Cesana waterfall to avoid disturbing mountain streams. 83 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:05,680 In summer, farms will use the water from these tanks. 84 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:11,680 The snow cannons they supply obviously use no additives, unlike those at other winter sports centers. 85 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:18,680 They wanted to limit the amount of permanent infrastructure to the strict minimum 86 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:22,680 and to plan for its use after the Olympics from the very outset. 87 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,680 But they also wanted to prioritize the renovation of older buildings 88 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:30,680 and to use the most modern techniques to limit their environmental impact. 89 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:36,680 In Cesana, this press center used to be a holiday village. 90 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,680 Abandoned for years, the asbestos was removed, it was renovated, 91 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:45,680 and in future it will be used as a training center for sporting federations. 92 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:49,680 Here, solar energy does not directly power the lighting circuits. 93 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:52,680 It's used to make hydrogen. 94 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:59,680 The advantage is that the gas can be stored and used to produce electricity at specified times, even at night. 95 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:05,680 The environmental audit undertaken for IMAS did not spare any detail, 96 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:11,680 such as the need to lay down an enormous floor covering for the entire biathlon shooting zone. 97 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:18,680 This ground sheet is used to recover the cartridges fired during the competition. 98 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:24,680 The aim is to reduce, or rather eliminate completely, pollution of the ground by heavy metals. 99 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:28,680 Back to Turin. 100 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:30,680 At the headquarters of the organizing committee, 101 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:35,680 the global impact of the Games on the environment and the ecosystem have been minutely studied. 102 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:39,680 For this, the entire region is regularly photographed from the air. 103 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:47,680 By comparing two pictures like this, taken at two different times, 104 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:50,680 you can highlight the changes which have taken place. 105 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:53,680 All this can be used to estimate the impact. 106 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:59,680 On this basis, the committee regularly publishes impact reports. 107 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:05,680 Because of the infrastructure they require, some Olympic disciplines impact more heavily on the environment. 108 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:11,680 The bobsleigh track caused us to think long and hard. 109 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:16,680 It's more of an urban installation than a mountain one 110 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:19,680 because of its characteristics and its requirements. 111 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:25,680 To reduce its impact on the landscape, the bobsleigh track has been half buried. 112 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:31,680 And, as on the other sites, durable materials such as wood, glass and steel have been used to the maximum. 113 00:08:32,680 --> 00:08:39,680 The 5,000 trees felled to make room for it have been compensated by 100,000 new ones elsewhere in the valley. 114 00:08:40,680 --> 00:08:45,680 The site for the ski jump was chosen so that it blends almost naturally into the surroundings. 115 00:08:47,680 --> 00:08:55,680 We selected this slope because it has a natural dip to it which meets the International Federation standards. 116 00:08:56,680 --> 00:08:59,680 So we were able to reduce terracing to a minimum 117 00:09:00,680 --> 00:09:05,680 and the earth coming from the areas which had nevertheless to be dug out has been reused on site. 118 00:09:09,680 --> 00:09:15,680 To select its suppliers, the organizing committee applied European policy on green public contracts 119 00:09:15,680 --> 00:09:18,680 which calls upon public authorities or semi-public ones 120 00:09:18,680 --> 00:09:22,680 to purchase as many of the more ecological products and services as possible. 121 00:09:23,680 --> 00:09:29,680 So, 40% of the purchases of the organizing committee were made based on environmental criteria. 122 00:09:30,680 --> 00:09:34,680 From economical light bulbs to paper and low energy consumption office equipment, 123 00:09:34,680 --> 00:09:37,680 many of the products bear the European eco-label. 124 00:09:38,680 --> 00:09:41,680 Created by the European Union in 1992, 125 00:09:41,680 --> 00:09:47,680 the eco-label recognizes the environmental performance of thousands of products and services in its member states. 126 00:09:50,680 --> 00:09:55,680 Located at a height of 1,750 meters in the middle of a 700 hectare natural park, 127 00:09:55,680 --> 00:10:00,680 this refuge, for example, is the first one in the Alps to have been granted the European eco-label. 128 00:10:00,680 --> 00:10:04,680 For Elisa, obtaining the eco-label for her refuge was a logical step. 129 00:10:05,680 --> 00:10:11,680 When you have a refuge, you pay attention to the environment and the impact of pollution on it. 130 00:10:12,680 --> 00:10:14,680 You're sort of more predisposed. 131 00:10:16,680 --> 00:10:22,680 Just look around you and you will realize that it's hard to consume things, produce waste or pollution. 132 00:10:24,680 --> 00:10:29,680 Here there's no electricity supply from the grid, so they use solar panels connected to batteries. 133 00:10:29,680 --> 00:10:32,680 Tonight Elisa is expecting a group of hikers. 134 00:10:32,680 --> 00:10:36,680 Her menu will consist only of local products cooked on a wood fire. 135 00:10:36,680 --> 00:10:42,680 The dishes will be washed with an eco-label detergent and the scraps will be used to feed the wild animals. 136 00:10:43,680 --> 00:10:49,680 Good ecological choices, thanks to which the refuge has been granted the right to display this much sought-after label. 137 00:10:50,680 --> 00:10:54,680 But the main vocation of this European initiative is an educational one. 138 00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:57,680 Certain people come mainly because we are eco-labeled. 139 00:10:57,680 --> 00:11:01,680 They want to see why we do it and how, and then apply it elsewhere. 140 00:11:04,680 --> 00:11:07,680 Like this media center, which will host the press during the games, 141 00:11:07,680 --> 00:11:10,680 a whole series of buildings has been awarded the eco-label. 142 00:11:11,680 --> 00:11:16,680 Here, for example, everything has been designed to promote natural sunlight and to save energy. 143 00:11:16,680 --> 00:11:19,680 Holiday centers or hotels for businessmen, everyone is targeted. 144 00:11:20,680 --> 00:11:26,680 Behind it, there's the message that the adoption of good environmental practices is possible under all circumstances. 145 00:11:29,680 --> 00:11:32,680 The European Commission has cooperated closely in the process. 146 00:11:33,680 --> 00:11:40,680 We found in the European Commission that there is a lot of interest in this. 147 00:11:40,680 --> 00:11:48,680 We found all the best ways to achieve the commitment that we made to have a sustainable Olympic Games. 148 00:11:49,680 --> 00:11:58,680 We shall leave an important legacy on the territory, because all the local institutions, many enterprises, 149 00:11:58,680 --> 00:12:06,680 and a lot of operators have made with us the experience of good practices in the environmental policies actions. 150 00:12:08,680 --> 00:12:14,680 The European Commission wants to see this experiment inspire organizers of this type of sporting event in the future. 151 00:12:15,680 --> 00:12:19,680 The European Commission is committed to the development of a sustainable Olympic Games. 152 00:12:20,680 --> 00:12:25,680 The European Commission is committed to the development of a sustainable Olympic Games. 153 00:12:25,680 --> 00:12:28,680 The European Commission wants to see this experiment inspire organizers of this type of sporting event in the future. 154 00:12:29,680 --> 00:12:35,680 We expect environmental issues to become more and more important for major events, 155 00:12:36,680 --> 00:12:42,680 and we believe that EMAS, eco-label, and green procurement are strong and reliable tools. 156 00:12:43,680 --> 00:12:50,680 The Commission will therefore seek to continue promoting them towards future major sports events. 157 00:12:51,680 --> 00:12:55,680 The Winter Olympics in Turin will be an international first. 158 00:12:56,680 --> 00:13:02,680 They'll clearly demonstrate that organizing a large-scale sporting event can go hand-in-hand with protecting the environment.