The 2012 Olympic Games and the environment

The London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will be the 'greenest' games in history.

Firstly, the Games will bring great environmental benefits by reclaiming contaminated land. The area proposed for the Olympic Village is the Lower Lea Valley in East London. This area has great potential as an environmental zone, with its unique network of waterways and marshland. At the moment, the area is described as a ‘brownfield site’. This expression is used to define areas which are underdeveloped, derelict, contaminated or vacant. As well as becoming home to the proposed Olympic Village, this area will be the biggest new park London has seen since Victorian times.

Secondly, the Olympic and Paralympic Games will also provide the chance to implement environmentally friendly policies. All construction projects before and after the Games, and the Games themselves, will minimise waste, pollution and the impact on London’s wildlife habitats. The Games organisers will adopt and promote sustainable procurement and design practices, and use every opportunity to educate Londoners, and especially young people, about the importance of sustainable development.

In addition, London aims to make the 2012 Games a totally ‘car-free event’, only allowing disabled drivers private car access to the Olympic venues. This is part of a well-planned, integrated transport strategy for the Games.

Finally, nothing will be built permanently on London’s green spaces like Hackney Marshes and London Fields (known as ‘greenfield sites’). The only lasting London 2012 buildings will be on the reclaimed brownfield site.

Find out more about the environmental benefits of hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.
Explore the interactive map and discover the location of different sports at the proposed London 2012 Games.

Find out more about the London 2012 Olympic Games.