From Global Events to Local Benefits
June 2026
From Global Events to Local Benefits
Los Angeles County is leveraging major international sporting events to advance climate resilience, public health, and sustainability initiatives that will benefit residents long after the final whistle.
What does a mega-event mean? And how do policy makers formally prepare to host competitions like this year’s World Cup and the Olympics in 2026?
Mega-events are major international gatherings that attract hundreds of thousands — or even millions — of visitors, which can place temporary pressure on transportation systems, public spaces, utilities, public health systems, and other infrastructure.
Preparing for events of this scale isn't just about making sure visitors have a good experience. It is also an opportunity to invest in improvements that benefit residents for decades to come. Los Angeles County's approach is to use these events as a catalyst to advance long-term goals around climate resilience, public health, transportation, waste reduction, and sustainability. This approach is reflected in the OurCounty Sustainability Plan, which encourages the County to use events of all scales as opportunities to advance equity, reduce environmental impacts, and create lasting benefits for residents.
What are the near-term impacts to a region by hosting events, from a sustainability point of view?
Large events bring increased demand for transportation, water, energy, waste management, and public services. During summer events, extreme heat also becomes a concern because visitors, workers, volunteers, and residents may spend long periods outdoors.
Heat affects more than comfort. It can create health risks for athletes and spectators in addition to the broader community, strain infrastructure, increase energy demand, and impact transportation systems. That's why CSO has made heat resilience a focus of its involvement in preparations for upcoming events.
How is Los Angeles County preparing for heat during major events like the World Cup and Olympics?
Extreme heat is one of the most significant climate-related risks facing Los Angeles County today, and large summer events can increase exposure because people may be traveling, waiting outdoors, or gathering in public spaces during hot conditions. Adopted earlier this year, the County's Heat Action Plan (CHAP) guides efforts to cool outdoor spaces, create heat-resilient indoor spaces, and expand heat safety communications and programs.
The County is actively working with a range of partners to improve access to shade, water, cooling resources, and heat-safety information. County departments supported the development of Metro's heat mitigation toolkit and are involved with efforts to ensure that shade structures, hydration stations, refillable water stations, and heat-safety signage are at key transit and gathering locations. The County is also partnering with organizations such as ShadeLA to expand both natural and built shade throughout the region.
In addition, LA County Public Health is working with venue operators and event partners on heat preparedness planning, public education campaigns, and coordinated messaging to help residents and visitors stay safe.
Importantly, many of these investments are intended to benefit residents long after the events conclude.
What role will the County play in making sure these months-long competitions do not negatively impact the local environment and our local communities?
Los Angeles County is not the organizer of the World Cup or Olympic Games. However, County departments play important roles in planning and coordination around public health, emergency preparedness, transportation, sustainability, and resilience.
The County's role is less about organizing events and more about helping ensure that preparations protect public health, strengthen resilience, and create lasting benefits for communities. County departments are involved with public health preparedness, emergency response coordination, sustainable transportation, waste reduction, water access, and public communications.
Rather than viewing mega-events as temporary disruptions, the County is seeking opportunities to use them as catalysts for long-term improvements.
What are some specific initiatives being pursued to reduce environmental impacts?
The sustainability challenges associated with mega-events are wide-ranging, so preparations need to address more than any single issue.
One important focus area is transportation. Public agencies and event partners are working to encourage transit use, active transportation, and other lower-emission travel options that can reduce congestion and air pollution during major events. Metro's heat mitigation planning is also intended to make transit a more comfortable and attractive option during hot weather.
Waste is another major area of focus. Los Angeles County has developed resources such as a Waste-Free Event Guide to help event organizers reduce waste generation, increase recycling and composting, and recover edible food that might otherwise be discarded. More broadly, the County seeks to use events as opportunities to promote waste reduction, food recovery, and sustainable purchasing while minimizing impacts on surrounding communities.
Water preparedness is equally important. Partners are exploring ways to expand hydration access, promote reusable water bottles, and improve public awareness of drinking water resources. Some concepts being discussed include temporary hydration stations, bottle-filling locations, and coordinated public messaging around water stewardship.
The broader goal is to ensure that preparations for major events strengthen the systems and infrastructure that residents rely on every day.
What might be some of the long-term positives in the community once the competitions end and visitors leave town?
The most successful mega-event investments are often the ones people continue using years later.
For Los Angeles County, that could mean more shade in public spaces, improved transit amenities, better hydration infrastructure, stronger emergency communications systems, expanded cooling resources, and greater public awareness of heat safety.
Initiatives such as ShadeLA are specifically focused on creating a lasting legacy by increasing both natural and built shade throughout the region. Similarly, concepts being developed through Metro's heat mitigation work are intended not only to support visitors during major events but also to inform longer-term investments in climate-resilient transportation infrastructure.
The County hopes that residents will ultimately benefit from safer public spaces, healthier neighborhoods, and infrastructure that is better prepared for a hotter future.
How can visitors do their part to help in “greening” these mega-events? What can residents do?
Sustainability is a shared responsibility.
Visitors and residents can help by choosing public transit when practical, carrying reusable water bottles, taking advantage of hydration stations and drinking fountains, properly sorting recyclables and compostable materials, and reducing unnecessary waste.
People can also help protect themselves and others from heat by staying hydrated, seeking shade, checking local heat advisories, and learning the signs of heat-related illness.
Small individual actions may seem modest, but when millions of people participate, they can collectively reduce environmental impacts while helping create safer and more enjoyable events for everyone.