The Olympic Games and Agriculture: Dow Named Official Carbon Sponsor
18 March 2013 
According to the London Games final sustainability report, the 2012 event saved a total of 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide, 100% of operations waste was diverted from landfills, and 62% of all waste was reused, recycled or composted, making the event the most eco-friendly to date. Dow and the Olympic Organizing Committee are aiming to surpass this landmark by making the 2014 Winter Olympic Games an even greener occasion.
In order to prepare for the international spotlight, the company says it will focus on cultivating three key areas: infrastructure, industry and agriculture. Working in these areas, Dow will mitigate the direct carbon footprint associated with the event via energy-efficient technologies and improved greenhouse gas (GFG) emissions performance.
Dr. Nicoletta Piccolrovazzi, technology and sustainability director of Dow Olympic Operations says, “Agriculture is a major global contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Changing agricultural practices leads to better yields – which means more food – while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“Traditional farming practices that are currently employed in Russia, including full tillage, are associated with substantial GHG emissions due to soil oxidation, fuel consumption, and soil erosion. After extensive research and intense planning for this project, we believe that projects in this area can contribute significantly to more sustainable farming practices in key agricultural regions of the country, like Stavropol and Voronezh, and may subsequently be expanded to other regions.”
In order to measure their success leading up to the Olympics, Dow has also partnered with Offsetters Climate Solutions, which helped reduce carbon emissions during the 2010 Vancouver Games, to develop the measurement tools to account for the carbon benefits of the solutions implemented in Russia. ERM, a global provider of environmental, health, safety, risk and social consulting services, will provide critical review and assurance for the partnership.
Piccolrovazzi said, “Having sustainability at our core, we understand Sochi 2014’s environmental commitments and are very excited to leverage our industry-leading expertise to help the Organizing Committee fulfill its vision toward delivering the first Russian Winter Games with minimal impact on the climate.”
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