The London games set out a list of sustainability targets to guide its preparations - not least to measure its carbon footprint and to focus on access to the events by sustainable transport. In its pre-Games sustainability report, the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) said it had met the vast majority of its targets, implementing measures that deliver the most sustainable games yet, such as the following:
- The Olympic park was created on once-contaminated industrial land, and provides both new wildlife habitats and significant flood alleviation;
- The most-sustainable and lightest Olympic and Paralympic stadium in history has been completed on time, with old gas pipes used in much of its construction;
- London 2012 is the first Olympic and Paralympic Games to measure its carbon footprint over the entire project term;
- London 2012 has pledged to deliver a public transport games, targeting one million extra walking and cycling journeys in London every day of the games.
- London 2012 is the first Olympic and Paralympic Games to commit to a Zero Waste to landfill target, reusing or recycling over 98 per cent of waste in the demolition phase, and 99 per cent in construction of the Olympic Park;
- London 2012 is also utilizing a new sustainability assessment guide developed by the Global Reporting Initiative, which was co-founded by UNEP.