OLYMPIC DELIVERY AUTHORITY REVEALS GREEN PLAN FOR 2012

The London 2012 Olympics organisers have released their sustainability plan, a strategy for a “green” Games which includes measuring the carbon impact of the Stratford Games. The plan outlines a host of measures including measuring the carbon impact of the Games, a low-emission Olympic flame, and a 120m high wind turbine at the north end of the Olympic Park.

It also collates the various targets for the construction element of the Games, including:

• Zero waste to landfill for the entire Olympics including preparation, Games-time and in legacy mode.
• Ensuring goods and services to be sourced under a set of acceptable environmental and ethical guidelines.
• Reuse and recycling of demolition materials to meet a target of 90% of all materials using in the construction of the Olympic facilities and infrastructure - ODA Design And Regeneration Director Alison Nimmo revealed the demolition contractors have thus far managed to recycle 97% of materials.
• The proportion of reused or recycled materials to account for at least 20% of the value of materials used in the permanent venues, and venues and infrastructure to be built using 25% recycled aggregate.
• 50% of Olympic Park construction materials to travel to site by rail or river.
• Homes in the Olympic Village to be built to Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4.
• Permanent venues across the Olympics will be expected to achieve 15% CO2 reductions beyond 2006 Building Regulations, and achieve an ‘excellent’ BREEAM rating. Contractors will be expected to prove that embodied energy in construction materials has been minimised.
• In legacy mode, the organisers are aiming to reduce the Olympic Park’s built environment carbon emissions by 50% by 2013.

Ms Nimmo said: “Sustainability is at the heart of our programme and runs through all we are doing – from the recycling of waste materials from the demolition programme through to venue designs and energy source and supply. We have set ourselves challenging targets but have already made a strong start.”