Absent crowds, Tokyo Olympics have a shot at being green

FILE PHOTO: Electric vehicles are pictured at an internal shuttle bus station of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Village in Tokyo, Japan, June 20, 2021. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - No fans. No snack stands. No tour buses or hotel bookings. To many, this year's Tokyo 2020 Olympics may seem like no fun. But to environmentalists, the pared down approach is exactly what's needed in a world confronting climate change.

Initially, the Tokyo Organising Committee had estimated the mega-event would result in emissions of some 2.73 million tonnes of planet-warming carbon dioxide – more than what the cities of Vancouver or Melbourne reported emitting in all of 2019.