The Games, which are due to take place between December 11 and 21, are predicted to produce around 20,000 tons of CO2 and Trentino 2013 are hoping to put in place measures ranging from sustainable mobility to waste management practices in order to offset the emissions and make the event as environmentally friendly as possible.

To achieve this, organisers have said they will work with local authorities and firms on a number of initiatives including reducing the heating needs of offices and public buildings during the Games, reducing road and highway lights at night when there are low levels of traffic, and adopting heating systems that use renewable resources.

Local citizens are being encouraged to take part in the "Pedibus" initiative which encourages parents to take their children to school by walking or through car pooling, and are even being encouraged to reduce the amount of time they have the lights on their Christmas trees turned on.

Organisers of Trentino 2013 want to minimise the impact of pollution on the Trento area during the Universiade


























The announcement was made at a press conference attended by Trentino 2013 vice-president Paolo Bouquet and Trentino 2013 secretary general Filippo Bazzanella, Trentino city planning and local authorities' minister Mauro Gilmozzi, President of Trentino's Municipalities' Consortium Marino Gilmozzi and Matteo Manica from the University of Trentino.

Organisers have also vowed to make the Games a "paper free event" by focussing on the use of digital media and revealed an agreement with Italy's Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC Italia), which will see the use of wood from sustainable and legal forests, in the construction of facilities and structures that are related to the Universiade.

Bazzanella said that the aim is to make Trentino 2013 "the first environmentally friendly Universiade ever."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related Stories
August 2013: Search is on for "Official Song" of Trentino 2013 Winter Universiade
August 2013: Trentino 2013 launches Crowdfunding campaign
July 2013: Nearly 2,000 volunteer applications received for Trentino 2013
April 2013: Trentino preserve snow to ensure a white Winter Universiade
March 2012: Trentino replaces Maribor as host of 2013 Winter Universiade