February 22, 2010 - Green Games: Making the 2010 Winter Olympics Sustainable

The 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver promises to be the greenest Olympics ever. Can they make good on their promise? Here are some ways that the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) has tried to make the Winter Games more sustainable

•  Sponsors

In addition to providing monetary support, many Olympic corporate sponsors have helped the Olympics go green. Atos Origins helped implement sustainable practices at the Vancouver games, including online volunteer and accreditation systems, which both help reduce the amount of paper used at the games.  McDonalds is helping divert 85% of the Games-time waste from landfills and GE provided two locomotives for transportation of equipment and goods. Coca-Cola is also assisting with waste diversion and has created a carbon-offset program.

 

Many of the other sponsors, while not contributing to sustainability at the Games, are committed to sustainability within their organization. Samsung has been involved in eco-friendly charity work since 1991 and recently established an electronics-recycling program in the United States.

For their commitment to sustainability both worldwide and at the games, we give a big thumbs up to the 2010 Vancouver Olympic sponsors.

•  Carbon Neutrality

To achieve carbon-neutrality at the 2010 Winter Olympics, VANOC has partnered with Offsetters, a British Columbia-based carbon asset management company. With Offsetters, they aimed to offset about 118,00 tons of direct emission from the Games. Indirect emissions are estimated at an additional 182,000 tons.

This is a big step for the Games, since this is the first one that has included their carbon emissions not just for the two weeks of events, but for all seven years spent getting Vancouver ready for the Winter Olympics. However, VANOC has since lowered their offset commitment to 110,000 tons, leaving 190,000 tons of emissions still unaccounted for.

•  Businesses

The Buy Smart Program awarded contracts for business opportunities at the 2010 Games based on several criteria-businesses' environmental programs, ties to Vancouver's inner cities, employment of Aboriginal people and people with disabilities, and other sustainability practices. For example, all 1,700 victory bouquets awarded to winning athletes were made by members of a non-profit design school for women with barriers to employment; the flowers used were certified organically and locally grown.

While athletes are receiving medals, businesses are receiving stars. The Vancouver 2010 Sustainability Star Program recognizes partners, sponsors, and the Committee itself for initiatives that have shown positive social, economic, and environmental impacts during the Games. Recipients of the Sustainability Star in Environmental Stewardship and Impact Reduction include Coca Cola, Ricoh, Transportation Canada, and BC Hydro. 

•  Infrastructure

Through the Travel Smart initiative, VANOC promotes use of public transit by choosing not to provide public parking at any of the venues. Instead, spectators with tickets will have unlimited access to TransLink buses, trains, and ferries to attend events. They are also being encouraged to ride-share/carpool to transit stops, walk, or ride a bike.

The venues and accommodations at the 2010 Games were built with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building standards in mind. The Richmond Olympic Oval features a roof with rainwater capture and reuse technology, while the Whistler Olympic Park uses an on-site wastewater treatment plant that ensures high-quality discharge to local surface water. All of the buildings in the two Olympic Villages housing athletes and officials have been fitted with solar panels and green roofs.

When the Games are over, the Olympic Villages will be converted into 1,100 apartments and commercial space, leaving Vancouver with a sustainable community that can house about 3,000 people.

•  Increasing Environmental Awareness

In collaboration with the International Academy of Sport Science and Technology (AISTS), VANOC has created the Sustainable Sport and Event Toolkit (SSET) already being used by various international sport federations. The SSET is an online how-to guide for sports organizations looking to make their organization and events more socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable.

 

We would like to see VANOC take a more active role in increasing public awareness about the environment. Although their website provides green tips to those heading to Vancouver for the Games, VANOC should also take advantage of the international media exposure to encourage more sustainable sporting events and a greener lifestyle.

For more information on the 2010 Winter Olympics' sustainability initiatives, please visit http://www.vancouver2010.com/sustainability/

Danielli Marfori is a Contributing Writer for the Green Guide Network. She can be reached at danielli.marfori@gmail.com.

 

Danielle Stowe is a Contributing Writer for the Green Guide Network. She can be reached at daniellestowe@gmail.com.

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