May 17, 2011 | Posted by Shaun McCarthy
I’m very pleased to say that on 18 May at 11am I’ll be one of the speakers at the virtual event Sustainability Now. The event covers environmental issues in the property, construction and architecture sectors; and has excellent green credentials as it’s a ‘virtual event’ – hosted online, with no need to leave the confines of your office to attend. Perhaps best of all, it’s free. I’ll be on a panel of experts discussing the subject of Low Carbon Britain: Green buildings, Green Construction, Green jobs. Chaired by Neil Jefferson, chief executive of Zero Carbon Hub, on this audio webinar we’ll be taking a look at the notion of a ‘low carbon Britain’ and what can be done to support the development of green products, materials and, yes, people too. I’m hoping to put my own views across, examining the meaning behind the buzzwords – such as ‘green jobs’ – and bringing some examples from the 2012 Olympics to the discussion. If you’d like to register to attend Sustainability Now for free, please click here. I hope you’ll be able to join us, and don’t forget – it’s an interactive session so questions from the audience are always welcome.
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April 11, 2011 | Posted by Shaun McCarthy
I was astonished to read in a media report recently that the London 2012 sustainability plan is “in tatters”. I was even more surprised to read that this piece of journalistic endeavour was based on quotes from an interview with me. The quotes were accurate but out of context and focused on two issues we are addressing in our Annual Review, published in April 2011. The first is about carbon emissions. We are reasonably confident that the ODA and LOCOG will meet their carbon emissions targets but these targets will not be achieved through renewable energy as originally planned. The ODA plans to invest in a community energy saving scheme in the local area and LOCOG will set more aggressive energy reduction targets to achieve the same end of reducing carbon emissions directly associated with the Games and the legacy of the venues. London 2012 has demonstrated the futility of setting arbitrary targets for renewable energy when the technology and economics related to urban renewable energy requirements appear to be very challenging. Much better to specify “what” (reduce emissions) than “how” (install renewable energy). It is good to see planning guidance also moving in this direction. The second issue
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March 28, 2011 | Posted by Shaun McCarthy
Tags: athletes, carbon, sponsors
The energy efficiency medal table? It is a great privilege to be Chair of CSL. I see all aspects of sustainability for the Games and meet everybody involved with the agenda. This is quite a unique perspective and gets me involved with many different government bodies, NGOs, political leaders and more. This has been a steep learning curve for me as I come from a mostly corporate background and I have had to learn several new cultures and ways of working over the past four years. It is always good to return to my roots and meet with LOCOG’s commercial partners to understand what they are doing. It must be a bit like doing a job in a second language that you speak fluently and then returning home to converse in your mother tongue. I met recently with Coca-Cola to understand what they are doing to reduce the carbon footprint of their product and operation, including their plans for recycling and HFC free cooling. This is the first time they have invested substantial resources into using their brand value and sponsorship of the Games to really push sustainability hard and it is very impressive. The project that most intrigued me
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February 22, 2011 | Posted by Jonathan Turner
Tags: carbon, construction, ODA, Velodrome
I attended the opening ceremony for the velodrome today. The velodrome is a venue we are particularly pleased with as a commission as it is a real sustainability success story. One of my roles in the Commission is to track all the commitments that the delivery bodies have made to ensure they are progressing against them. This has meant I have been able to see how all the venues have developed throughout their design and build. The velodrome has consistently stood out as its innovative design has helped it meet or exceed all the targets set for it. For example,
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