Today the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 presented
their report on the sustainability of the "greenest Olympic Games"
ever. An interesting read for anyone interested in sustainable events,
developments, innovations and of course -like me- die-hard Olympic fans!
A summary:
So many great achievement! But let’s hope Rio 2016 will beat this Olympic Record big time! For the full report click here.
- All of the venues and the Olympic Village were successfully constructed to the highest sustainability standards with unprecedented levels of energy and water efficiency, well designed and constructed using sustainable materials. The infrastructure underpinned this commitment. The use of combined cooling, heat and power and black water recycling ensured that energy and water were not only conserved, they were supplied from more sustainable sources.
- The food we eat impacts sustainability in every way and LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games) set out an ambitious vision for healthy, fresh, sustainably sourced food that would suit all cultures, tastes and budgets. This was a first for major event catering and was achieved at most venues.
- London 2012 was the first summer Games to declare a target of zero waste to landfill with 70% re-used, recycled or composted. Typical events achieve 15%. Meticulous attention to recyclable and compostable packaging, an innovative and eye catching three bin system for spectators and exclusive use of a materials recycling facility have combined to make this possible. The system was not perfect but low levels of litter and higher than normal levels of source segregation provide another exemplar that others would do well to follow.
- LOCOG’s energy conservation plan was disappointing. Despite our representations in 2011, LOCOG was very late in developing an energy conservation plan and in recruiting people with responsibility for this during the Games. There is no doubt the people eventually recruited made a difference and the target 20% energy efficiency improvements are very likely to be exceeded. However, so much more could have been done had planning started earlier and staff had the opportunity to build relationships with venue teams and influence their plans.
- A key feature of LOCOG’s strategy was the ground-breaking sustainable sourcing code. Although compliance with timber requirements was excellent, the influence over hire markets providing cooling and PVC was less effective.
- The Olympic Park is one of the best connected places in Europe for public transport.
And for the ones that, just like me, can’t get enough of the Olympics goodies and haven’t arranged any Christmas present as yet: you can now design your own Mandeville or Wenlock! Check it out on London 2012.
More info:
Commission for a Sustainable London 2012
London 2012, Sustainability
Rio 2016
