The Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, inaugurated on February 6, 2026, are widely described as a new model for major international events: more environmentally aware, more socially responsible, and more conscious of the legacy they will leave behind.
Beyond the slogans, it is worth examining what genuinely works and where the main critical issues emerge, without rushing to definitive conclusions.
Positive elements: where the model attempts to work
One of the most frequently cited examples is the Milan Olympic Village, designed from the outset to serve a purpose beyond the Games. High energy-efficiency buildings, intelligent energy and water management systems, and resource recovery solutions are intended for everyday use. After the Olympics, a significant portion of the residences will be converted into social housing and student accommodation, turning what would otherwise be temporary infrastructure into a lasting urban asset.
From a governance perspective, the NOW26 framework represents the most structured attempt to translate sustainability into operational criteria. The program defines clear areas of intervention—environment, social inclusion, governance, and legacy—and links them to measurable indicators used to monitor energy and water consumption, material management, accessibility, and territorial impacts across the entire life cycle of the event. This is not a purely declarative document, but a framework meant to guide design, operations, and reporting, with the stated goal of making decisions traceable and assessable even after the Games have ended.
At an organizational level, Milan–Cortina 2026 also adopts an approach that considers accessibility and inclusivity from the very beginning, integrating these criteria into the design of venues, services, and the overall event experience. This reduces the gap between sporting spectacle and inclusion, treating accessibility not as an afterthought but as a structural component.
Another relevant aspect concerns athlete participation. Milan–Cortina 2026 is the edition with the smallest gender gap ever between male and female competitors, signaling a structural shift toward greater equity in elite sport. This strengthens the social dimension of sustainability, which is often less visible than the environmental one, yet equally central.
Critical issues: when sustainability meets its limits
Alongside these elements, however, there are tangible challenges. From an environmental standpoint, infrastructure projects linked to the Games have involved land consumption and deforestation in several Alpine areas, with cumulative effects on already fragile ecosystems. This is compounded by the extensive use of artificial snow, which requires large amounts of water and energy in an increasingly unstable climatic context.
From a social and economic perspective, questions arise about the actual accessibility of the event. High accommodation and ticket prices, combined with the wide geographical dispersion of competition venues, make travel between clusters complex and time-consuming, increasing indirect impacts related to mobility.
Within this framework lies one of the most debated cases of the entire Olympics: the bobsleigh track in Cortina d’Ampezzo. The decision to build a new facility for bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton has concentrated many of the tensions present in the public debate, including high costs, interventions in an environmentally sensitive area, and uncertainty about long-term use. The issue goes beyond immediate impact and touches on legacy. What real value will remain for local communities once the spotlight fades?
Conclusion: an assessment still open
Milan–Cortina 2026 show how sustainability can be integrated into decision-making processes, urban planning, and the governance of a major event. At the same time, they highlight how complex it is to reconcile environmental ambitions, costs, territorial impacts, and social consensus.
For TreeBlock, the key point is not to decide today whether these will truly be the most sustainable Olympics ever. A meaningful assessment will only be possible once the Games are over, when data, real infrastructure use, and long-term impacts on territories can be evaluated. That is where sustainability stops being a promise and becomes, finally, a measurable balance.