London’s Mayor Ken Livingstone promised Thursday that the London 2012 Games will be the most environmentally friendly Games ever staged.
The city has launched a new set of draft rules to guide the construction of the Olympic facilities. The Mayor said the procurement principles for contractors to follow would do more than just ensure that the work was completed on time and to budget. He said, “the London Games will be quite simply the most sustainable ever – leaving a lasting legacy of jobs, homes and environmental improvements for east London, London and Britain”.
Under the proposed new rules bidding contractors have to show their commitment to ethical employment practices and using recycling materials. They are also reminded that the whole process will be subject to the new freedom of information rules, reports the Guardian.
The procurement rules also suggest that local people should be given a preference for jobs generated by the Games, and a training program will be developed in the area to give local people a better chance of getting the jobs offered.
The Mayor also announced the start of a 70 million pound project to buy overhead power lines on the site of the Olympic Village.
Meanwhile, marketing experts are giving London an image makeover ahead of the 2012 Games.
Under the working title “London Unlimited”, the Mayor’s advisers have put together a long-term strategy aimed at selling London as the premier city of the 21st century by promoting its cultural diversity and business and education opportunities.
