London looks likely to miss its 20% renewable energy target that was set prior to the Olympic Games. In a meeting between the London Assembly’s Environment Committee and the head of sustainability at the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, David Stubbs explained that there are not enough renewable energy projects in the city. A planned wind turbine scheme has already been blocked and this, combined with a general lack of sustainable energy facilities, means that London may not meet its target during the staging of the Olympic Games and Paralympics.

Olympic organisers are also facing another setback as waste processing facilities fail to be developed. With 40% of the waste created at the Games expected to come from food and food packaging, it was hoped that East London would see a new organic waste processing facility. Although this has not been the case Sean McCarthy, chairman of the Commission for Sustainable London 2012, hopes to see such a facility built in the near future.

However the London 2012 team is still trying to reduce overall energy consumption during the Games. It is using boilers which burn waste wood and 50,000m2 of solar panels, which it wants to install around the Olympic Park. It is also planning a small scale CHP biomass plant.