French Alps 2030 Winter Olympics Embrace Social and Environmental Commitments in New Charter

A landmark social and environmental charter has been signed to guide the 2030 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in the French Alps, signaling a robust commitment to sustainable development, local employment, and exemplary labor conditions.

This comprehensive charter, formalized on November 26, 2025, is the product of collaboration among the Olympic and Paralympic Games organizing committee (Cojop), the infrastructure public company Solidéo, eight major trade unions, and employer organizations. Spanning 27 key commitments, the charter mirrors and extends principles established in a similar Paris 2024 Games charter, which notably pushed for equitable working conditions and local professional inclusion.

Key tenets of the charter include strong protections for workers’ rights, heightened support for small enterprises including TPE-PME (very small, small, and medium-sized businesses), and a push for circular economy practices alongside preservation of alpine biodiversity. It explicitly aims to leave a positive and lasting social legacy while minimizing environmental impact. Sports Minister Marina Ferrari emphasized the careful use of artificial snow only when necessary and in a reasoned manner to protect mountain ecosystems.

Highlighting the economic and social impact, Edgar Grospiron, president of Cojop 2030, pointed to studies forecasting the creation of 50,000 jobs across the region due to the Olympic preparations. This follows the precedent of Paris 2024’s charter, which achieved significant workforce integration, recruiting over 10,000 individuals, with 25% of contracts awarded to small businesses and social economy actors.

Guided by an oversight committee co-chaired by former CGT Secretary-General Bernard Thibault and Dominique Carlac’h, the charter is heralded as a pivotal step in setting a "model social and environmental framework" for the Games. Detailed implementation objectives and specific targets for local employment and environmental stewardship are expected to be unveiled in the coming months, with Solidéo set to present its dedicated charter in early 2026.

This charter underlines France’s commitment to hosting a sustainable and socially responsible Olympic Games, ensuring that the event benefits both the alpine environment and the local communities well beyond the competition period.