Olympic Sustainability a Force for Good

BC frankearl from Cranbrook , February 14, 2010

For Ann P. Duffy these are the days of fulfillment. As Corporate Sustainability Officer, Duffy is responsible for making sure these games bring only good things to the environment and the community.

In an innovative and powerful new step, she and her office have adopted a kind of ‘triple bottom line’, environment, society, and economy. Each of these aspects played a role in every decision made by VANOC over the past seven years.

“None of this is perfection,” Duffy said, stressing that this is the first Olympics to adopt this triple priority system. As the games get under way, we will see the work of the sustainability offices all around us: from the specially marked bins (recycling, composting, and trash), to the efficient, multi-purpose venues. Even things like the podiums, and the flowers have been influenced by this office, in an attempt to do the most good possible during these games.

The accomplishments of this organization go far beyond the 2010 Winter Games, creating long lasting improvements, from the local all the way to the international scale.

The environment came to the forefront in the planning of these Winter Games. VANOC’s environmental priorities were; first to leave a small environmental footprint and second, to convene a carbon neutral games. Venues were created as compactly as possible, and made to be multi-purpose; all buildings were constructed to be as ‘green’ as possible, with recycled building materials and efficient energy systems. The roof of the Richmond Oval was made from 1.4 million board feet of pine beetle affected wood – an accomplishment which may lead to new uses for the previously discarded pine. The long track speed skating oval converts into a basketball court, and two hockey rinks, and the venues at Whistler were shrunk by thirty percent from traditional Olympic layout – simply by good planning. These are only a few of the many environmental feats on display here in Vancouver: every building has a story every Olympic partner has done their bit.

The environment isn’t the only thing that the sustainability office is trying to protect; Duffy and others like her, are just as concerned that social benefits come to Vancouver’s under privileged people and indigenous communities. The program "Buy Smart" - started from the sustainability office – is concerned with bringing benefits to the inner city, and money to the local economy.

VANOC has entered into full partnership with the First Nations of this region, and the first construction project of these games went to a company owned by a member of the Lil’Wat First Nation. Just Beginnings Flowers was contracted to train underprivileged women from Vancouver, who have no other means of employment, and whose training will culminate in the victory bouquets given to medalists – a portfolio on the world stage. Rona partnered with VANOC to create the “Rona Fabrication Shop.” This “Fab Shop” is training carpenters – sixty-four graduates so far – and giving them recognized accreditation. Their projects? The Olympic podiums of course!

That which cannot be made here is subject to the most stringent ethical sourcing programs to date. An audit, and a surprise audit, is conducted to make sure that all suppliers comply with the program, which includes: clauses on child labour, local law, and minimum wage, among other things. The system is being adopted by many other companies, most notably Olympic sponsors Coca-Cola, and McDonalds. None of this has ever been done before, and all of it is setting new standards for sustainability, and ethics in large scale production.

Balance is everything in the VANOC Sustainability Office. On top of all of their added considerations, there is of course good old fashioned economics. Every consideration must be balanced against the available funds, collected from corporate sponsors, private donors, and of course the Canadian Government. Everything must be of international quality, and in perfect working order. For instance, the flowers mentioned previously are being shipped from outside this beautiful region, because none of the flowers which grow in Vancouver’s winter months will do for the Olympic bouquets. The bouquets needed to be durable, scentless, and long lasting – hence the decision to outsource. “Every day it’s another compromise,” says Duffy, assuring us that the flowers were chosen to look like Vancouver’s summer growth, and shipped in accordance with the ethical sourcing program.

On the level of pure economics, Vancouver 2010 is not much different from past Olympics. These Olympics did not cost much more than any other; the reason, Duffy says, is smart thinking. “It’s just making smart choices. It’s changed what we need to do in our daily lives,” she explained. Of course, building green does cost more – two to seven percent more to be precise – but Duffy is confident that energy savings will make up for this within five years. The balance has been difficult to obtain, and the compromises often times painful, but careful planning has guaranteed an economically viable, wonderful Vancouver 2010.

Over the past seven years, amazing things have been accomplished in this bustling coastal metropolis. Dozens of Olympic venues have been constructed or refurbished with the latest in sustainable technology. Hundreds have been given job training, and thousands have been given work. The indigenous peoples have been consulted on every aspect of Games organization, and many local companies have been employed. An ethical sourcing program has been put in place which is redefining international trade and production. All of this has been done within the Olympic budget, and all of it has been done under the banner of the Canadian Winter Games. Those involved should be proud of the things they have done, and the legacy they will leave behind. These Olympic Games have been a force for good in the lives of many, and will continue to positively impact this land for generations to come.