London 2012 sustainability round-up

The Olympic Stadium from the parklands (photo courtesy London 2012)

In this round-up:

• Caroline Spelman on the “most sustainable Games ever”
• Achim Steiner praises measures for environmentally sustainable Games
• Getting there: better provision for walkers and cyclists
• London 2012 on track for 20% carbon reduction in Games-time energy use
• Pedestrian power: A million pairs of feet light sustainable walkway to London 2012 Olympic Park
• London 2012 sustainability ambassadors inspired by host borough community projects

Caroline Spelman on the “most sustainable Games ever”

Environment Secretary Caroline has spelled out how sustainability has been at the heart of every stage of the London 2012 project, noting that:

• The Games is this country’s opportunity to show the world what a fantastic place Britain is to live in, to visit, and to come and do business.
• It showed that we are an innovative, creative, and forward-thinking nation that has realised the value of its natural environment.
• It also showed how we can protect that environment while still generating new buildings, new business and new jobs.

More from Defra…

Achim Steiner praises measures for environmentally sustainable Games

Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), praised the measures taken by the United Kingdom to ensure that the London Summer Olympic Games are environmentally sustainable after visiting the Olympic Park with Secretary of State for the Environment Caroline Spelman. UNEP has been cooperating with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since the mid-1990s so that host cities of the global sporting event strive to put measure in place that protect the environment and makes smart use of their resources. Mr Steiner described some of London 2012′s acievements:

“London’s clean-up of an old industrial site; the restoration of flows and habitat on the River Lea; the greening of supply chains; the low energy linked with the design and construction of the stadium, including utilizing old gas pipes for the facility’s Olympic ring; and the use of temporary structures to reduce emissions are among the actions that can assist in inspiring the organizers of the Rio 2016 games and beyond.”

More from UN…

Getting there: better provision for walkers and cyclists

The Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 welcomed the latest phase of London 2012’s Active Travel programme, finding that the upgrade in provisions for cyclists and walkers, specifically the availability of new route maps and planning tools, will enhance efforts to harness the power of the Games to encourage more walking and cycling.

The Commission now believes that London 2012 has delivered the resources and tools necessary to make walking and cycling a real option for spectators. The opportunity to accompany more experienced walkers or cyclists will give spectators who might be unsure about cycling or walking in the city the opportunity to experience something new and help them develop awareness of routes available.

London 2012’s Active Travel programme, developed in conjunction with Transport for London (TfL), aims to get 300,000 spectators travelling to the Games by foot or bicycle, and an extra one million active travel journeys across London over the Olympics and Paralympics. London 2012 is committed to ensuring that 100% of spectators arrive at the Games by public transport or walking and cycling. By changing the behaviour of spectators at the Games to more sustainable modes of travel, London 2012 will provide a significant boost to long-term behaviour change in London, as well as for international spectators. Use the spectator journey planner…

London 2012 on track for 20% carbon reduction in Games-time energy use

The Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 is now confident that LOCOG is on track to meet its commitment to achieving 20% carbon reduction related to Games-time energy use.

LOCOG’s original target was that 20% of Games-time electricity would come from new local renewable sources. However, in April 2011 LOCOG confirmed a new approach to this target through the use of “energy conservation measures to achieve carbon savings equivalent to its original renewable energy target for the Olympic Park at Games-time”, once it became clear that it would be impossible to meet the target using renewable energy.

LOCOG has now adopted its Energy Conservation Plan, and we are satisfied that it is on track to meet its 20% energy reduction target. The Commission will seek to assure the implementation of the plan during Games-time. More from CSL…

Pedestrian power: A million pairs of feet light sustainable walkway to London 2012 Olympic Park

A pioneering walkway leading to the Olympic Park is being lit round-the-clock by the footsteps of a million spectators during the London 2012 Games. The award-winning British renewable technology wasn commissioned by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to light the temporary bridge leading from West Ham Station – one of the three transport hubs feeding the London 2012 Games – to the Olympic Park.

Twelve energy harvesting floor tiles along a walkway connecting the Station to the Greenway walking route to the Olympic Park, are expected to receive more than 12 million impressions, generating 72 million joules of energy. The power will be used to illuminate the walkway for eight hours at full power during the night, and 16 daylight hours at half power. As well as 24-hour lighting, the units will also produce an energy surplus of around thirty five per cent, to be stored as a contingency in batteries onboard the units. More from London 2012…

London 2012 sustainability ambassadors inspired by host borough community projects

Ambassadors Jonathon Porritt, Saci Lloyd, Kevin McCloud and Deborah Meaden visited community projects in the London 2012 host boroughs in the run-up to the Games. At the William Paton Community Garden, where they were met by local residents who have driven a group to transform a plot of land in the middle of a housing estate. Elsewhere, the visitors saw a ‘sustainability themed lesson’ at Rokeby School – a member of the Get Set network – where the children created a London scene out of scraps of rubbish, encouraging them to think about how materials can be reused.

The London 2012 sustainability ambassadors are a group of leading figures in the UK’s business and environmental sectors who are helping to help to bring to people’s attention the importance of sustainability at the Games. The group consists of environmentalist and writer Jonathon Porritt (who chairs the group), TV presenter Kevin McCloud, business woman and entrepreneur Deborah Meaden, campaigner and author Eugenie Harvey, author and environmentalist Saci Lloyd and co-founder of the Eden Project Tim Smit. Read more…