Global Forum for Sports and Environment
London 2012 “Green” Games On Track
Simon Wright, director of infrastructure and utilities at the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), said at a roundtable event Thursday that many of the site's environmental commitments are not at loggerheads with cost commitments. He said, "many of the plans go hand in hand and cost factors will not cause us to shy away from sustainability, particularly as many contracts are already agreed". According to Business Green the ODA plans to cut water use by 40 per cent through the use of low-flow taps and rainwater collection systems, while materials will be locally sourced where possible, and any concrete used will consist of at least 20 per cent recycled materials. There will be a closed-loop management system to ensure that waste materials are sent for reprocessing back into high-grade products. Buildings will be "enveloped" with special insulation to reduce heat loss by 15 per cent, and an onsite wind turbine and a wood chip-fired combined heat and power plant will fulfill the renewable energy target. Many of the buildings will be temporary for the Games, and will be deconstructed and then used elsewhere once the Games are over, and many building parts, including heating equipment, may also be rented. There will be no parking onsite, said Wright, although there will be some park-and-ride facilities, to discourage car travel to and from a venue. He added, "the ticketing is specially designed to encourage people towards public transport access, and we hope local people will walk and cycle to the site through specially provided green corridors". Business Green reports an independent scrutiny body (Commission for a Sustainable London 2012) has been set up to monitor progress against sustainability targets. Source: http://www.gamesbids.com/eng/ LINK : |
30 October 2008--Organizers of the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games say green measures for the London Games are not under threat despite the tightening credit conditions that will increase pressure on the Games' already stretched budgets, reports the Business Green website.