The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics continue to face criticism from the international press, which highlights delays and construction challenges. However, according to environmental organizations, the issues go beyond logistics. In Cortina d’Ampezzo, a new cable car is being built on a geologically unstable slope, while climate change is expected to significantly affect the Alpine area, with long-term environmental and economic consequences.
International media criticism of Olympic construction sites
Major international media outlets have sharply criticized the organization of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The New York Times described the event as a “logistical nightmare”, while the German newspaper Bild referred to the Games as “a gigantic construction site”, focusing in particular on delays affecting the Apollonio-Socrepes cable car, which has not yet been completed.
Cipra’s warning on the landslide-risk cable car
According to the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (Cipra), the situation is even more serious. The organization reports that a new cable car is currently being built in Cortina on a slope exposed to landslide risk, despite geological concerns, opposition from local residents, and a negative environmental assessment. Cipra also notes that leading cable car manufacturers did not submit bids for the project, considered highly problematic, especially after a 40-meter-long crack opened across the slope last summer.
Environmental assessments and project transparency
The NGO recalls that the Milan Cortina 2026 Foundation initially invited environmental organizations to take part in discussions aimed at assessing the environmental impact of all construction projects. However, relations were later interrupted and several construction sites were placed under special administrative management, resulting in more than half of the projects being excluded from environmental impact assessments. In response to this lack of transparency, the civic network Open Olympics 2026 was created, bringing together twenty NGOs, including Cipra Italia.
Construction delays and post-Olympic deadlines
According to the civic network, more than half of the 98 planned construction projects will be completed only after the Winter Games have ended. The final construction site is expected to be completed no earlier than 2033, several years after the Olympics.
Climate change effects on the Alps
The concerns extend beyond construction delays. Studies cited by the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change indicate that the Alpine area hosting the Games could experience a 37.9% reduction in days suitable for snowmaking and a 9.5% decrease in snow cover days by mid-century, under an intermediate emissions scenario.
Economic impacts on ski resort operators
The reduction in snow availability could lead to economic losses exceeding €9 million for regional ski lift operators by 2065. Preliminary studies suggest that winter temperature increases could be even more severe, with additional rises of 3 to 5 degrees Celsius, further increasing risks for winter sports and large-scale events such as the Olympic Games.