Blog archive

As a key plank of promoting equalities, we are introducing equality and diversity monitoring for our contractors' workforces, which is a relatively new thing in the contruction industry, but a move we hope will help to facilitate the outcomes we are seeking.

Our Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) launched on Tuesday. It covers a wide range of social as well as environmental issues – essentially making sure what we build is fit for the future.

We've set out tough but achievable targets for carbon emissions, water use, waste management and so much more as we design and build the venues.

For example, we're aiming to get carbon emissions down by 50% and 90% of demolition waste reused or recycled. We set these targets after in-depth analysis - talking to our enabling works contractors, looking at industry standards, working with advisory services and analysing the materials we’ll have on site.

We're also looking at how the local communities are affected as we build, and what will be left for them after the Games, to bring about lasting regeneration.

For example, we want to make sure people from the diverse communities in the area are able to access opportunities to work on the construction of the Park and venues; we want to limit disturbance while we're building; and we want to make sure that the venues will serve the local residents far beyond 2012. We aim to create a Park and venues appropriate to the needs and aspirations of local communities.

The SDS was a year and a half in the making. At times it's been challenging balancing the high aspirations with the need to deliver real outcomes in a challenging timescale.

We have undertaken public consultation on our approach, and spent time integrating sustainability into design briefs, programme management arrangements and our procurement policy, making sure we will deliver.

Following a real team effort it's great to finally have an end product that the Mayor and Tessa Jowell both fully support.

The response from industry has been very positive and they're gearing up to deliver the challenging standards we've set.

The response from environmental groups has also been generally favourable, seeing it as a good first step on the journey to a sustainableGames.

We'll now continue to work closely with the Organising Committee, Greater London Authority and Government to integrate into the bigger picture, with a programme-wide sustainability plan due to be published in the spring.

Our Delivery Partner, CLM, was involved with creating the strategy and will make sure it's put into practice across the board.

It's challenging, but they're confident our supply chain can deliver against it.