Past event: January 28, 2026
Millions of people around the world will soon be cheering on their favorite teams and athletes during the 2026 Winter Olympics. Besides being one of the best-loved sporting events on Earth, both the Winter and Summer Olympics are deeply impacted by climate change. For next month’s Games in Italy, rising temperatures led organizers to purchase 2.4 million cubic meters of artificial snow to enable consistent conditions.
This press briefing, co-hosted by Covering Climate Now and Climate Central, equipped journalists from around the world, working on any platform or beat — from sport to business, from weather to opinion — to make the Olympics-climate connection with clarity and confidence.
Panelists
- Ben Tracy, climate journalist on assignment for Climate Central
- Kaitlyn Trudeau, senior research associate for climate science for Climate Central
- Graham Zimmerman, senior director for athletic alliance for Protect Our Winters and pro alpinist
CCNow’s executive director, Mark Hertsgaard, moderated.