Olympics green vision slammed

Plans to make the London 2012 Olympics the ‘greenest Games ever’ have been slammed by environmental campaign group Greenpeace.

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) announced a strategy this week that included plans to reduce carbon emissions associated with Olympic Park and other venues by 50%, reduce waste and water usage and promote sustainable transport. However, the measures have been described as ineffectual by Greenpeace.

“These Olympic proposals deserve the wooden spoon,” said Charlie Kronick, of Greenpeace. “In 2012, climate change will be the biggest issue on the planet, and yet the Olympic Delivery Authority are planning to belch way too much climate trashing gases into the atmosphere. Their somewhat vague targets are nowhere near where they should be aiming. Given that the Government is expecting all new homes to be zero carbon emitting by 2016, the ODA’s wooly figure of a 50% reduction is pitiful.”