Olympics venue bidding spurs environmentally friendly development – UN

Congratulating London on its choice to host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, the United Nations environmental agency today voiced pleasure that ecological concerns such as the use of renewable energy and reduction of global warming carbon emissions figured prominently in the bids of all the short-listed cities.

“I am particularly pleased that many of the environmental commitments made by the bidding cities will still be implemented even though they will not in 2012 be hosting the Games,” UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Klaus Toepfer said of the other candidates – Paris, Madrid, New York and Moscow.

During the bidding process UNEP established close working relationships with most of the short-listed cities, offering advice on environmental aspects of their bids. All made pledges related to increasing use of renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions, minimizing waste and promoting ecologically-friendly venue design and sustainable transport and tourism.

London has embraced the concept of the ‘One Planet Olympics’ aimed at achieving, in their own words, “the first sustainable Games” that respect ecological limits and cultural diversity, and create “a legacy for sport, the environment and the local and global community.”

UNEP has been working closely with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and other sports bodies since 1994 as part of its Sport and Environment Programme. In 2004, it implemented a number of environmental awareness activities at the Athens Olympics in collaboration with the organizing committee and other partners.

UNEP also has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, and is preparing to sign a similar wide-ranging accord with the Beijing 2008 Olympic Organizing Committee for the summer games.