Olympic Games London 2012: Analysis and evaluation of the probability that the sustainability scheme will reach fruition, with a focus on the stakeholders' perspectives

Abstract

The growing focus on sustainable development and the increasing size and popularity of the Olympic Games, with the recognition of their wide-ranging impacts, have led to the claim of incorporating sustainability into the planning of the Olympic Games. The upcoming Olympics in London in 2012 have taken this into consideration and have declared sustainability to be an integral part of their Games¿ concept when applying to become the next host city, promising the most sustainable Games ever. This research investigates if Olympic Games are at all reconcilable with sustainability, how the International Olympic Committee and the host city¿s authorities approach this topic and whether London, two years before the opening of the 2012 Olympics, is on track to turn their promises into reality. The latter is achieved by focusing on the perceptions of the identified stakeholders of the Olympic Games London 2012. The results are obtained by means of in depth interviews, cases studies of the past Olympic Games and document analyses. This study explains several contradictions between the sustainability concept and the Olympic Games. Despite identifying a number of potential solutions that give evidence of their compatibility, as well as the sustainability concept having the support of the International Olympic Committee and increasingly of the host authorities, this research concludes that not all unsustainable impacts can be prevented. The findings further indicate that London will probably fulfil the majority, but not all, of its sustainability promises. However, compared to previous Olympic Games, London is on course to become the most sustainable Games ever. This conclusion suggests that London¿s most sustainable ever objective is not as ambitious as it appears at first sight, not to mention that this aim is even an expected logical consequence of global advancements in terms of sustainable development in the last decade. Therefore, London should aim to increase the sustainability of their Games, within the realms of possibility, to an absolute maximum. London¿s ultimate objective should be to create long-term sustainability benefits by lastingly enhancing sustainability on a broad level, including future mega events, other industry sectors and the society as a whole, through advancing the corresponding mechanisms, such as sustainability knowledge, practices, standards, technologies, methodologies and increased behavioural conformance