Sustainability at Mega Events: A Case Study of the London Olympics 2012

MEGA EVENTS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................. 3
BODY.............................................................................................................................................. 4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................. 9
REFERENCES.................................................................................................................................10
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INTRODUCTION
Mega events such as Olympics, World cups and commonwealth games are an important source
of income for host countries and are helping to attract a large number of visitors and therefore
these events are considered as one of the fastest growing tourist attraction in the world. On the
other hand, these mega-events have some disruptive impacts on the ecosystems and systems
must be designed carefully to follow the basic principles of sustainability. This report will
discuss the sustainability issues at London Olympics 2012. According to BBC news, the London
Olympics were the greenest ever Olympic event (BBC, 2012). However, the event was not able
to achieve some of the sustainability goals such as the installation of wind energy systems and
biomass boilers. There were many concerns regarding bad air quality and its impacts on the
health of the athletes participating in the games. Some athletes experienced chest pains and
shortness of breath due to air pollution. Such incidents were reported at Beijing Olympics 2008
and the China government banned almost 50% of cars in the city and closed down much
pollution causing industries. The report will also discuss the question that, whether
sustainability issue at mega events is a myth or is it really possible to follow the principles of
sustainability at such large events.
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