LONDON: Exactly 2012 days from today, 23 January 2007, the London 2012 Olympics will be opened at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, London.
Sebastian Coe, chairman of London 2012, becomes sentimental when he says in 2012 days time, on 27 July 2012, "we will welcome the world to London and the U.K. as we host the world's largest event. This is a good time to reflect on why we were so passionate about winning the Games. For me the Games are about the power of sport to inspire young people and drive social, economic and environmental agendas that will leave tangible legacies for the UK and the Olympic movement."
The British government expects that the Games will provide a big boost for tourism in the Northwest, providing more opportunities to host sporting events and training camps for visiting teams, and opportunities for the regions' businesses to win contracts for providing goods and services to the Games.
Prior to the games, there will be the Cultural Olympiad that will start in August 2008 rekindling the cultural aspects of the Games. There will be concerts, festivals and celebrations throughout the whole of the UK celebrating the unique history and diversity of Britain.
A managing committee has been set up to take up the task of maximizing opportunities within the region -- the North West 2012 Steering Group. The panel will have representatives from agencies like Sport England, the Northwest Regional Development Agency, Government Office and Culture Northwest, besides representatives from each of the sub-regions. The group is chaired by Andy Worthington, chair of the Regional Sports Board.
Meanwhile, the organizers have promised that the 2012 Games will be 'the greenest' olympic in history. In order to accomplish this feat, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has launched a sustainable development strategy to ensure that carbon emissions are at its minimum, to control use of water and manage waste and to maximize the use of environment-friendly transport and recycled materials.
Among the environmental targets set are:
- to make the Olympic village 25 per cent more energy-efficient than it would have to be under current building regulations
- to reduce the carbon emissions for the whole development by 50 per cent than current building regulations would permit
- to introduce renewable energy-generating systems, including a 120 meter-long wind turbine, which will provide 20 per cent of the energy for the Olympic Park and Olympic Village
- to use recycled materials for construction of the venues.
-- to build at least 50 miles of walking and cycle routes around the Olympic park
Coe said the ODA intends to set the very highest standards in sustainability and legacy for other games to follow.
