4 Mar 2011
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Government takes lesson in sustainability from 2012 games

The government is aiming to improve sustainability in procurement by taking lessons from the 2012 Olympics, Construction News reported.

BRE chief executive Peter Bonfield, who is also a construction products adviser for the Olympic Delivery Authority, said that government is talking to the ODA about how it can improve its procurement process based on models and measures used on Olympic procurement.

Speaking at Ecobuild, Bonfield said: “Everything we procured was about using proper practices so we have not had to simply buy the cheapest option.

“To evaluate procurement we had a strict system, of which environmental elements were around 25 per cent, but we found that if we were clear enough with the supply chain early on, they came to us with the right answers.”

“If you give the supply chain time they will innovate and you end up winning everywhere,” he said. “The idea that contractors are not innovators and are difficult to work with is rubbish.”

Bonfield also revealed that the ODA is also to launch a website in September, carrying sustainability case studies and project reports. It's hoped that the website will enable the wider industry to learn lessons from the team that aimed to create the most sustainable games in history.

ODA head of sustainability Richard Jackson said that the ODA had been tough on contractors, saying that a number of contracts did not start on time because the authority stopped work until they were satisfied with their environmental management plan.

“We are creating a movement with London 2012 that I hope will change the industry for the future,” he said.

Meanwhile, Building reported that the ODA is looking for contractors for the £300m job to transform the Olympic park post-games, to prepare it for the legacy phase.

The contract is thought to include removing all of the temporary venues, and making changes to other major venues in order to create a platform upon which future regeneration and redevelopment can take place.

An OJEU tender for the “design and construction of the transformation works” has been issued.