Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Greenest Ever or Just Greenwashing?

Tokyo 2020 set ambitious sustainability goals—but do its eco credentials withstand scrutiny or fade into greenwashing?

By Medha deb

Created on Sep 27, 2025

Tokyo 2020 set ambitious sustainability goals—but do its eco credentials withstand scrutiny or fade into greenwashing?

Tokyo 2020: Were These Truly the Greenest Olympic Games?

When Tokyo won the bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics, it pledged to create the greenest Games in modern history. Under intense international scrutiny and amidst growing climate concerns, Tokyo 2020 framed itself as a showcase for sustainability, promising innovation and global leadership. However, as the Games unfolded, so did conflicting narratives: Were the event’s eco-credentials as solid as advertised, or were they a case of Olympic-scale greenwashing?

Sustainability at the Heart of Tokyo 2020

Tokyo 2020 adopted the slogan “Be better, together – For the planet and the people.” The organizing committee established five major sustainability themes:

Climate Change
Resource Management
Natural Environment and Biodiversity
Human Rights, Labor, and Fair Business
Involvement, Cooperation, and Communication

These themes informed every stage—from venue construction and energy sourcing to the event’s carbon calculations and post-Games legacy.

Key Green Initiatives at Tokyo 2020

Tokyo 2020’s organizers implemented several headline sustainability measures, many of which captured international headlines:

Recycled Materials in Symbolic Elements

Torch Design: The Olympic torch was manufactured using 30% recycled aluminum sourced from housing units built after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, blending environmental awareness with national symbolism.
“Tokyo 2020 Medal Project”: Approximately 6.2 million used mobile phones and other small electronics donated by Japanese citizens were processed to produce 5,000 gold, silver, and bronze medals. This marked the first time all Olympic medals were crafted from entirely recycled metals.
3D-Printed Victory Podiums: For the first time in Olympic history, the athlete podiums were made using 3D printing technology and upcycled plastics. Over 24.5 tons of plastic waste—including bottles, marine litter, and packaging—was collected from the public for this initiative.
Cardboard Beds: Athlete beds and mattresses in the Olympic Village were made from recycled cardboard and easily recyclable components, able to support up to 440 lbs. Post-Games, these beds were designed for full recycling.
Torchbearer Uniforms: The torch relay uniforms, designed by Daisuke Obana, were created from recycled Coca-Cola bottles, showcasing innovation in sustainable fashion.

Venue Strategy: Retrofit Over New Build

Existing Venues: 25 existing sports venues were refurbished to reduce construction emissions, and both old and new buildings were retrofitted to improve energy efficiency.
National Stadium: While the main stadium’s timber-lattice roof embodied low-carbon design, controversy arose over supply chains: some wood was linked to deforestation, raising questions about true environmental impact.

Renewable Energy and Carbon Neutrality

100% Renewable Energy: All venues were powered through renewable sources—largely solar and wind—during the Games, averting approximately 370,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Hydrogen Fuel: For the first time, hydrogen powered the Olympic cauldron, select vehicles, and portions of the torch relay, both lowering emissions and promoting clean energy innovation.
Carbon Offsetting: The Japan Organizing Committee claimed carbon neutrality by purchasing 4.38 million metric tons of carbon credits, largely drawn from local energy-saving projects in Tokyo and Saitama. This approach, however, sparked debate over true versus offset emissions reductions.

Water and Biodiversity Initiatives

Water Conservation: New and retrofitted venues used rainwater harvesting and high-efficiency plumbing, reducing water consumption by up to 30% versus prior Games.
Urban Forestry: The Tokyo 2020 Forestation Project planted 270,000 trees across Japan, enhancing urban biodiversity and acting as carbon sinks.
Conservation and Restoration: The organizing committee conducted environmental assessments to avoid construction in ecologically sensitive areas, with efforts to restore habitats and protect at-risk species.

Measuring the Impact: Did Tokyo 2020 Live Up to Its Green Goals?

Multiple organizations assessed or recognized Tokyo 2020’s sustainability achievements:

The United Nations commended the Games’ contributions to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably climate action, clean energy, and responsible production.
Global Ecosphere Retreats certified Tokyo 2020 as an “Advanced Eco-Leader”, its highest level for sustainable events.
The Dow Jones Sustainability Index included Tokyo 2020 among the world’s most sustainable organizations based on environmental, social, and governance criteria.

Reportedly, the total carbon footprint was kept below 2.7 million metric tons of CO2—just a third of the level produced by the 2016 Rio Olympics. Athletes, staff, and organizers celebrated the visible green measures and the spirit of innovation.

Criticisms and Accusations of Greenwashing

Despite bold claims, Tokyo 2020’s sustainability story remains contested. Critics, including environmentalists and journalists, raised several concerns:

Carbon Offsets vs. Direct Reductions: Experts highlighted that offsets from energy efficiency projects do not directly remove carbon, and that real atmospheric reductions rely more on methods like direct air capture or soil sequestration.
Transparency Issues: There was a lack of third-party auditing or full public disclosure regarding the effectiveness and permanence of purchased offsets.
Construction Footprint: While retrofitting existing venues was prioritized, some new venues—including the National Stadium—used timber reportedly linked to unsustainable logging, arguably undermining emissions pledges.

According to architects and green experts, the Games’ decarbonization strategy—while advanced—remained “superficial” in certain aspects, with some measures viewed as symbolic rather than transformative. Others noted that carbon accounting practices sometimes shifted rather than fundamentally reduced emissions.

Lessons from Tokyo: Towards a “New Norm” for Sustainable Olympics

Tokyo 2020 was the first major test for the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Agenda 2020 and “New Norm” reforms, which seek more sustainable, cost-effective, and socially responsible Games. By emphasizing legacy—reusing venues, minimizing new construction, boosting renewable energy use—Tokyo set a new precedent that now raises the bar for future hosts.

Paris 2024 aims to use 95% existing or temporary venues and cut construction emissions by 55% versus previous Games, aspiring to halve its total footprint compared to London 2012 and Rio 2016.
Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 cite Tokyo’s approach as inspiration, pledging even greater reliance on public engagement, lower-impact infrastructure, and legacy planning.

The hope is that each successive Games will learn from—and surpass—the last, contributing to a new global standard in how mega-events are planned, operated, and remembered.

Advantages of Tokyo 2020’s Sustainability Model

Reduction in Emissions: Renewable power for all venues and low-carbon transport initiatives demonstrated scalability for other cities.
Material Circularity: Medals, podiums, and even beds showcased how circular economy principles can be embedded in major events.
Public Engagement: Soliciting millions of small electronics, plastics, and trees from the public raised awareness and involved citizens in sustainability goals.
Urban Biodiversity: Forestation efforts provided a direct, lasting ecological benefit to host communities.
Legacy Planning: The strategic use of new, adaptable venues and retrofitted infrastructure leaves a smaller, more useful post-Games footprint.

Lingering Challenges and Future Outlook

Despite impressive progress, Tokyo’s approach illustrates daunting systemic difficulties:

Carbon Accounting Complexity: Reliance on carbon credits and offsets raises valid doubts over what constitutes meaningful emissions reductions.
Supply Chains and Transparency: Gaps in proving ethical and sustainable material sourcing (such as timber) can hamper credibility.
Longevity of Impact: Without sustained effort, the positive environmental benefits of Olympic initiatives risk being short-term.
Balancing Shows with Substance: Sustainable image campaigns must translate into authentic reductions in resource use and emissions—not just visible gestures.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Was Tokyo 2020 really the most sustainable Olympics?

A: Tokyo 2020 achieved several genuine milestones—full renewable power, wide-scale recycling, hydrogen energy, and record-low emissions. However, the use of carbon offsets, unresolved questions over supply chains, and a partial reliance on symbolic initiatives cause many to view these achievements as progress, but not perfection.

Q: How were the medals for Tokyo 2020 made?

A: All 5,000 gold, silver, and bronze medals were produced entirely from precious metals recovered from over 6 million donated cell phones and small electronics, highlighting national participation and material circularity.

Q: Are carbon offsets used by Tokyo 2020 effective in actually reducing emissions?

A: The carbon offsets purchased for Tokyo 2020 primarily funded energy efficiency projects, which lower future emissions but do not directly remove existing atmospheric carbon. Some experts believe direct removal offsets would be more effective.

Q: What happens to Tokyo’s Olympic infrastructure now?

A: The strategy emphasized reusing venues and adaptable designs. Many new structures, such as the main stadium, aim to become long-term community assets, while cardboard beds and event materials will be recycled after the Games.

Q: How does Tokyo 2020 compare to future Games like Paris 2024?

A: Paris 2024 intends to use even fewer new venues (just 5% newly built) and cut its footprint by over half, building on lessons from Tokyo and attempting to set a new global benchmark for sustainable mega-events.

Takeaways: Tokyo 2020 and the Future of Green Mega-Events

Tokyo 2020 marked a crucial inflection point in the evolution of sustainable mega-events. While not flawless, its innovations and the challenges it exposed provide a roadmap for both future Olympics and other large-scale events worldwide. As climate pressures mount, the Olympic movement’s legacy may ultimately hinge on shifting from spectacle to substantive, systemic change—a standard that Tokyo’s “greenest Games” helped to define, but did not fully achieve.

References

Author

medha deb

Medha Deb is an editor with a master's degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Hyderabad. She believes that her qualification has helped her develop a deep understanding of language and its application in various contexts.

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