The London Olympics claims to be a “sustainable” event, in the environmental sense, rather in the business sense of the word. It will not have a wind turbine (not that would have made much difference) and the Olympic Delivery Authority claims that it is finding other ways to reduce the carbon footprint of the Games.
“We are creating venues, facilities and infrastructure for the London 2012 Games that leave a lasting social, economic and environmental legacy for London and the UK, while minimising any other adverse impacts during the design and construction of the Olympic Park, venues, infrastructure and housing” boasts the ODA. It also points out that it has become the “first Games Organising Committee to be certified to the British Standard 8901: Specification for a Sustainability Management Systems for Events”
I wonder if they have taken into account the carbon footprints of the opening and closing ceremonies. The opening ceremony has a budget of £80 million and spending a good part of it on fireworks would not be a sustainable achievement or a low emission activity.
Filed under: carbon dioxide, carbon emissions, climate change Tagged: | British Standard 8901: Specification for a Sustainability Management Systems for Events, London Olympics, Olympic Delivery Authority, sustainability at the London Olympics
Trouble is “Sustainability” is an elastic concept and like many other organisations the ODA exaggerates and publicises minimally sustainable actions.
As for the British Standard, it is my experience that BS requirements generally are aimed at being the minimum acceptable rather than the “gold” standard implied by ODA.