SUSTAINABILITY OF LONDON 2012 GAMES

Analytical Report On The Sustainability Of The London 2012 Games



Executive Summary

The Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 is in a unique position - it is an independent watchdog organization set up to ensure the Olympics bid's vision to be the most sustainable games ever delivered. It is the first commission of its kind anywhere in the world, and provides strategic assurance across the Olympic programme while directly advising the Olympic Board. The commission's governance recommendations and findings are publicly available, and experts believe that there will be many lessons learned and insights gained. The issue of waste has been a major focus from the beginning of the London Olympics. Not just how it is dealt with during the construction phase, but during the games themselves and the legacy that can be left. It is believe there are many lessons the waste industry can learn from the best practice pursued during the London Olympics 2012.

Analytical Report On The Sustainability Of The London 2012 Games

Overview Of The Sustainability Plan

The aim for the 2012 London Olympics programme was to be a catalyst for new waste management infrastructure in east London, and other regional venues, and to demonstrate exemplary resource management practices. It minimized waste at source, divert construction waste wherever feasible, and all games time waste away from landfill. It also promoted the hierarchy of reduces, reuse and recycle, to facilitate long-term individual behavior change. The sustainability issues that cut across London 2012 Olympics, ranged from waste to climate change, biodiversity and to healthy living and inclusion. The scale of the task was huge - even without the logistics of hosting the biggest sporting event in the world, In terms of governance, the assurance the commission provides is proactive, not reactive. The review showed structures, resources and processes, as well as outputs, because the London Olympics only had one chance to capitalize on this unique opportunity.

The commission published its first major governance review in November 2007 (Barber, 2008, Pp. 41). It reviewed progress of the key London 2012 stakeholders on sustainability to date. It also reviewed cross-organization performance on the areas of waste, climate change, biodiversity, healthy living and inclusion. The report made a wide range of recommendations and identified five key areas that need particular focus till the future waste, carbon, social and economic sustainability and commercial partnerships. The Olympic Delivery Authority (CDA) is setting exemplary standard in construction waste management.

The target of 90% diversion from landfill during the remediation and demolition phase of the project was class leading. Claims from the CDA to be comfortably exceeding this target were highly encouraging. The aim to source 20% of materials by value from recycled sources is a significant improvement on the 10% currently considered to be best practice. The London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games had set a target of zero waste to landfill during games time. There were no plans as yet to describe how this will be achieved, but there was ...