A new report shows that plans to deliver a truly sustainable Olympics and Paralympics are a long way to being realised.
With 464 days to go until the start of the
London 2012 Olympic and
Paralympic Games, I know I am definitely on the home straight. For the last seven and a half years I have been working for London 2012 to put on the largest sporting event in the world. I am both excited and daunted by how quickly that Omega clock is ticking in Trafalgar Square but Wednesday is definitely a big milestone for me and the team as we have published our first
London 2012 Sustainability Report – A blueprint for change.
When we won the bid to host the Games in 2005, we made a radical proposal to the International Olympic Committee, not only would we put on the biggest sporting event, we would also host the world's first truly sustainable Games.
I knew from the start that it was no easy task but we are making great progress and I am really proud of what we are achieving.
Previously we have published our plans on how we were going deliver a truly sustainable Games but the new report shows how those plans have turned into fantastic sporting venues and sustainably sourced materials, merchandise and
food contracts for the 15,000 athletes and 10 million spectators – who will be eating 14 million meals.
We have also announced that our report has achieved a Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) checked application level B. Not only was this a huge effort from a standing start but it's also a Games record, as we are the first organising committee to produce a GRI-checked report.
This is a recognised international standard for sustainability reporting normally used by established corporations, so it is a big step up for a temporary organisation. In fact we are working with the GRI to create an event organisers sector supplement, which will be issued later this year. That will be a great example of a legacy for future events to help raise sustainability reporting standards in this sector.
So how do I sum up our proudest moments in 2010?
Well first is the Olympic Park itself: it was an enormous undertaking to transform 250 hectares (617 acres) of underdeveloped land into the largest new urban park in Europe for well over a century. All the venues are on schedule for completion within time and budget, and to high standards of sustainability, which shows that quality, value, deadlines and sustainability can be mutually supportive.
Our commitment to a low carbon Games is firmly on track: through the use of a groundbreaking carbon footprint methodology to inform our venue design, choice of overlay materials and procurement strategy, we have more than halved one of the largest segments of our Games operations footprint. That's more than 100,000 tonnes of embodied
carbon emissions avoided.
We have put in place a comprehensive sustainable sourcing programme. Working closely with sponsors, licensees and suppliers, our system enables businesses working with the Games to demonstrate their sustainability and enables us to monitor our
supply chains effectively. Within the report you will find more details of how we are delivering sustainable sourcing on a scale that has never been seen before, including all the checks and balances to ensure that we really do know where the things we buy have come from, who made them and what they are made of. And, crucially, what happens to them afterwards.
These are not ephemeral changes: businesses are gearing up for long-term change; the Games are providing an accelerant to make this a reality sooner.
We are also very committed to delivering the most inclusive Games to date: our approach to recruiting volunteers and our ticketing is designed to enable the widest possible group of people to be part of the Games.
For me, the best is that we are taking sustainability deep into new territory: the work that has been done on integrating sustainability into food, logistics,
transport, ceremonies,
technology and event management has uncovered opportunities that have not been realised before in a Games context.
Beyond the strict confines of the Games we also have some excellent outreach programmes, such as Changing Places, an initiative to help local communities around our venues improve their own local environmental quality.
All this is helping to make a difference and is even more special because the Games are coming to my home city. Now all I need to do is apply for some tickets before the 26 April deadline.
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