According to an annual review by the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012, organizers are missing a golden opportunity to inspire a step change towards a low-carbon economy.
Although the report says the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), responsible for construction and design of the venues and infrastructure, had maintained a high standard of sustainable design, the benefits to the UK’s wider green economy could be lost before the Games even begin unless “the knowledge in people’s heads is captured before they leave”, reports the Guardian.
The report, Raising the Bar, says “our main area of concern lies in the wider commitments that we made during the bid or just afterwards. Broad promises have been made in official documents: ‘to make the Olympic Park a blueprint for sustainable living’ and ‘to be a catalyst for new waste management infrastructure in east London’.
“With the exception of a few worthy initiatives there is no comprehensive plan to make this happen. Furthermore, it is not clear what definitions life behind these expressions or who is responsible for making them happen.
“With just over two years to go before the ‘inspirational power of the Games’ moves to Rio, never to return to London, these issues need to be resolved”.
Shaun McCarthy, head of the commission, cited lower-carbon cement, low-toxin plastics and a zero landfill waste target as some of the achievements so far, reports the Guardian.
He singled out the velodrome as a good example of sustainable design, with its ultra-lightweight roof and natural lighting and ventilation. But he said the results have been mixed on the Olympic park. The aquatic centre, with a roof made from 3,000 tons of steel, was a “sharp lesson” in sustainable construction said McCarthy.
McCarthy was “very disappointed” that the energy centre in the Olympic park would run on gas, not biogas from onsite waste.
An ODA spokesperson said, “we welcome the scrutiny of the commission and will continue to work with them to address any concerns they may have. The report states that the commission is pleased with our progress and they believe we are on track to meet challenging and extensive sustainability targets that nave never been achieved before on a project of this size and scale.
“Our sustainability strategy was embedded into our processes at the start of the project and is already being delivered onsite. We are currently pulling together the best practice and lessons that have been learnt from the project sot hat they can be used by the industry for future projects”.
