CSR Special Report – The London Olympic Stadium – part one

When it comes to the most successful Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies everything it seems is in the planning or at least it ought to be. Next summer’s 2012 Summer Olympic Games will be held in London, England for the first time since 1948 and the centrepiece of the whole event will be the brand-new ‘London Olympic Stadium‘ currently under construction in east London. The purpose built arena will seat about 80,000 spectators for the games with construction costs estimated to run to £537 Million (about $835 million US). Seeing as London already has international football (soccer) and rugby stadiums, the London Olympic Stadium is being specifically constructed for the month-long event but with no obvious future in yet in place. Part of the Olympic bid does involve the future owners of the stadium providing a home for the British Athletic Association and several caveats that the building will be put into regular community use after the Olympics have long gone.

Much like the World Cup which is also held every four years, both the summer and winter Olympics typically result in a huge amount of construction plus infrastructure improvements for both new arenas or upgrades to old one plus a huge investment in transportation services and often hotels. Considering the short term economic boost provided ny such huge global events, combining a long-term feasibility study and considered approach to corporate responsibility is a growing part of the legacy that these rare events must consider in the modern world. The carbon footprint and drain on natural resources required to build such super stadia and the related infrastructure is of course huge. Meanwhile the organizing committee typically have their priorities focused on the smooth and profitable organization and administration of the event itself it is the long-term impact to the area in which the facilities are built in the overall practicality for future planning which creates either a positive or negative outcome beyond the game itself. On the plus side the actual construction of the stadium has broadened the best of green technology currently available while the steel infrastructure is composed partially of recycled scrap metal. Every facet of the stadium and other arenas designed for the games have, as part of the official Olympic committee proposal, taken into consideration using raw materials and implementing ideas which will have the lowest environmental impact.

The Olympic stadium in London under construction, but what does the future hold for the arena?

In part two of the story I will look at the future possibilities for the London Olympic Stadium after all of the athletes and spectators have gone home, there has been a heated debate over the last six months about what the future will bring for the arena. The ideas on the table will probably shock you.