2010 Winter Olympics – More Sustainability Stars
Vancouver Games Organizers Announce Another Six Enviro Winners
Jun 4, 2009
The Vancouver 2010 Winter Games organizers, VANOC/COVAN, announced on June 3, 2009 a second set of projects for the the Sustainability Star. Like the first nine, these projects have one of the following aims:
- Reduce the environmental impact of the Games
- Provide lasting social benefit for the region
- Provide economic support especially on a long-range basis
Winners for this round include Coca-Cola, BC Hydro, ActNowBC, and no less than three VANOC programs. Does it sound like they're patting themselves on the backs?
Sustainability Star Winners, Round 2
The second set of Sustainability award winners:
- Coca-Cola's waste diversion program – Coke, a worldwide partner for the 2010 Winter games, has made a commitment to divert at least 95 percent of its waste materials is from landfills. "Recyclables, including shrink wrap and cardboard trays, will be returned to a recycling centre in Richmond, British Columbia, and 100 per cent of the plastic, single-serve beverage bottles consumed in Games' venues will be collected and recycled," said a VANOC media release dated June 3, 2009. Besides the zero-waste program, the Coca-Cola Olympic Games Sustainability Program also includes a zero carbon strategy. Coke created their program in consultation with WWF-Canada and the David Suzuki Foundation.
- BC Hydro's Save like a Champion/Power the Games program – BC Hydro is challenging 210,000 people to reduce electrical consumption by 10%. The resulting electricity saved would be roughly equal to the power requirements of the 2010 Winter Games. "We'll show you how to save like a champion so together we can Power the Games with energy conservation," promises BC Hydro.
- ActNow BC –a provincial health promotion encouraging people make healthy eating and activity choices. "The Province of British Columbia's goal is to be the healthiest jurisdiction to host an Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games." (and just how will they measure that?)
- VANOC's sustainability management and reporting system – this program set six sustainability performance objectives (accountability, environmental stewardship, social inclusion, Aboriginal participation, economic benefits and sport for sustainable living) as guidelines for the 2010 Winter Olympics through their development, implementation, and follow-up.
- The Buy Smart program – run by VANOC and the Province of British Columbia's 2010 Commerce Centre, the purchasing power of the Games is use to "support ethical sourcing and enhance the social, environmental and economic performance of the Games and its supply chain."
- VANOC's barrier-free guidelines – intended to make the Games region more attractive to visitors, athletes, residents and workers by increasing the accessibility of the venues and athlete Villages
"We are constantly amazed by the ingenuity and commitment our sponsors and partners have shown towards promoting sustainability at the 2010 Winter Games," said Ann Duffy, VANOC's corporate sustainability officer. "These projects are all new or scaled up for the Games or Host Region and will play
an important role in the legacies left for generations to come. They also demonstrate how sustainability can be woven into any aspect of an organization and can drive business and social innovations."
The First Sustainability Stars
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