Vancouver Olympics fail to reach greenhouse gas targets
Posted December 17, 2010 3:21 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – VANOC says while it delivered the greenest games in Olympic history, it failed to reach its greenhouse gas targets.
Organizers of the Vancouver Olympics say the games hit a new standard for green sustainability. VANOC says it did reach a minimum 15 per cent drop in emissions across the board and was the first to stage a carbon neutral torch relay.
VANOC’s Ann Duffy says it’s also important that some of the venues built for the Games are multifunctional and will be used in the future, especially in the city of Vancouver. When it comes to sustainable housing or the Olympic Village, Duffy says the commitment is still there to deliver hundreds of units of non-market, social housing.
Duffy says another great legacy is the connections made to people who don’t typically benefit from being part of such a big event, such as First Nations and other groups. “$5.7 million of spending within the inner-city, 30 per cent in the Games region, nearly 40 per cent in the province and in Canada. So that spending can be further realized in terms of economic development.”
Vanoc also says its Travelsmart plan helped get cars off the road and encouraged people to take transit, walk or work from home during the games.
Meanwhile, a PricewaterhouseCoopers study released by the province today suggests the games pumped $2.5 billion into the BC economy.
