Weather Morning: 9°c Sunny spells Afternoon: 10°c Sunny spells

Olympics

London 2012 'not as green as advertised'

Danny Brierley, Evening Standard
5 Aug 2008


Olympic chiefs were today accused of a "greenwash" and massively scaling down plans to make London 2012 the greenest Games ever.

Green campaigners have told the Standard that organisers have watered down their carbon emissions targets to make it easier to hit key objectives.

They now fear the ambitious plan to make the Games the greenest ever will be achieved by omitting large aspects from an audit of carbon emissions. These include the massive emissions from spectators and media travelling to and from the Olympics.

Around 200,000 people will travel from around the world to the 2012 Olympics - the equivalent to tens of thousands of tonnes of carbon.

Campaigners say that without these emissions the measuring exercise would be cosmetic "greenwash". They are also concerned that developers have started construction on venues without targets for reducing emissions being set.

Olympic bosses admitted a key report detailing calculation of London 2012's carbon footprint has been delayed - raising fears authors are struggling to work out how to make the Games the greenest so far.

Darren Johnson, a Green Party London Assembly member and chair of its environment committee, said: "We need a full audit, not a watered-down greenwash exercise."

But the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games said its groundbreaking report had been delayed to ensure the calculations are the most accurate possible.

Reader views (1)

 Add your view

I have some mates at Leabank Square - one of only 3 residential estates bordering on the Olympic site - who are having 20 years worth of their own trees cut down to make way for a road!

The residents are a very green & self sustainable lot - who are actually extremely pro-Olympics - but are very upset that their 20 years worth of hard graft get chopped down in a couple of days.

The irony of 2012 being the greenest Olympics is lost on these fantastically community minded Olympic neighbours.

- Steve Hillman, Hackney, UK, 05/08/2008 13:48
Report abuse


Add your comment

 

Terms and conditions Make text area bigger You have  characters left.

We welcome your opinions. This is a public forum. Libellous and abusive comments are not allowed. Please read our House Rules.

For information about privacy and cookies please read our Privacy Policy.


 

Matthew Beard, Sports News Correspondent, on Twitter

    follow me on Twitter

     

  • Wanted: supplier of Olympic insoles Olympics Deals worth more than £35 million for essential but obscure products for the Olympics - from shoe insoles to rain shields for the...
  • Olympics boost £100m Fashion Week Stella McCartney London is set for the most star-studded Fashion Week ever, with sales forecast to surpass £100million as the capital cashes in on hosting...
  • In pursuit of glory, women cyclists aim to be fastest ever Rowsell Two Team GB cyclists today pledged to go "faster than anyone has ever gone" in the Olympics
  • Stones would love to play at the Games, says Ronnie Wood Ronnie Wood Guitarist revealed that Rolling Stones had been in discussions about playing during the Games and in other concerts
  • Who put the sex into cycling? Victoria Pendleton Make-up, good grooming and a preference for designer gear - Britain's young cyclists are a sponsor's dream, says Matt Majendie
  • Death on the Roman road  Knud Enemark Jensen Like too many athletes, Knud Enemark Jensen believed drugs would give him the edge. Instead, as Steve Redgrave recalls, they killed the...
  • Road cycling with Lizzie Armitstead Lizzie Armitstead The Evening Standard's Bella Blissett goes to Richmond Park to cycle with British Olympic hopeful Lizzie Armitstead
  • Ross Edgar: They say millions of condoms are taken. A lot more people take them than use them Ross Edgar The Evening Standard's Cathy Wood speaks to track cyclist Ross Edgar
  • JLS join athletes to back Sport Relief JLS sport relief Boy band JLS backed the Get London Running campaign urging readers to enter the Sport Relief Mile
  • 'Best of British' concert to mark end of Olympics Adele The Olympics will sign off with a spectacular concert in Hyde Park with the Rolling Stones, Adele and Blur all being courted for a "Best of...
  •