London 2012 the greenest Olympics in modern history
Sustainability measures taken by the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) have made London 2012 the greenest Olympics in modern history.
Sustainability measures taken by the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) have made London 2012 the greenest Olympics in modern history.
Both the United Nations Under-Secretary General and UN Environment Program Executive Director gave their green thumbs up for the summer Olympic and Paralympic Games – an accolade not afforded to many events.
In its pre-Games sustainability report, the LOCOG said it had met the vast majority of its sustainability targets for the Games. From building the Olympic park on once-contaminated industrial land in the degenerated East end of London, to providing both new wildlife habitats and significant flood alleviation, the greenest built Olympic and Paralympic stadium in history repurposed old gas pipes in much of its construction.
London 2012 is the first Olympic and Paralympic Games to measure its carbon footprint over the entire project term and also reused or recycled over 98% of waste in the demolition phase, and 99% in construction of the Olympic Park. London 2012 also pledged to deliver an event that favored public transport, targeting one million extra walking and cycling journeys in London every day of the games.
If that weren’t enough, the event organizers spent 4 years working to be certified to BS8901, the British ‘Sustainable Events Management’ standard. Working to achieve this certification involves many parts, including greening the supply chain, managing waste to minimize landfill use, reusing or repurposing materials where possible, and educating the audience about environmental aspects of the games.
Image 01 - The Olympic Rings, St. Pancras, London. DAVID HOLT.
