A London 2012 report says Games’ organizers cut their carbon-emission forecast for staging the 2012 Olympic Games by 20 per cent after scaling back the size of venues and renting instead of building seats, tents and crowd barriers.
The committee said the carbon footprint of the Games will be equivalent to 315,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide – a decline of more than 20 per cent from the 400,000 tons estimated in March 2010.
According to the report, the bulk of the emission reductions stem from a decision to rent temporary seating, barriers, and other infrastructure, rather than purchasing them new. Organizers also cut 90,000 square metres (969,000 square feet) of floor space in venues, saving 15,000 tons of CO2.
The committee said that energy use in venues “proved to be particularly challenging” and that “London 2012 has managed to find alternative solutions that ultimately are leading to better outcomes in terms of carbon reductions, even if not by the original means envisaged”.
The Olympic Delivery Authority, responsible for building the venues, reportedly reused or recycled more than 98 per cent of the waste from demolishing warehouses and other structures already on the Games site, beating a 90 per cent target. About 99 per cent of the waste created when building the venues was reused or recycled.
Bloomberg reports the committee said the Olympic Park will get about 11 per cent of its energy from renewable sources, including solar panels, biomass boilers and small wind turbines.
Organizers said rather than develop more renewable generation at the park, they’ve invested in more cost-effective energy efficient measures in 2,800 local homes and 12 schools, compensating for the shortfall.
The report relates only to those emissions generated by staging the Games.