LA 2024 RELEASES SUSTAINABILITY VISION, ANNOUNCES FUTURE-FOCUSED SUSTAINABILITY AND LEGACY COMMITTEE
Los Angeles, California– May 11, 2017 —LA 2024 today announced the formation of its Sustainability and Legacy Committee comprising 50 multi-disciplinary thought leaders supporting the bid’s mission to deliver an environmentally, financially, and socially sustainable Games that inspire future bidding cities with a lasting, positive impact on the LA community.
LA’s sustainability program starts with its vision of “radical reuse” – using LA’s existing world-class venues and not building any new permanent venues – a unique achievement that by itself would make LA 2024 the Greenest Games in history. But LA 2024 goes further, aiming to deliver the first ever ‘energy positive’ Games by generating more energy from renewable sources and Games-related energy efficiency efforts than needed to power the Games. Overall, LA 2024’s sustainability objectives extend far beyond managing the Games’ environmental impact, with its Sustainability and Legacy Committee offering guidance to maximize the Games’ long-term positive impact on LA communities, drawing on diverse Californian expertise in energy efficiency, environmental protection, engagement, healthy lifestyles and social inclusion.
The announcement was made at the existing, multisport StubHub Center in LA 2024’s designated “Green Sports Park,” the South Bay Sports Park. The South Bay Sports Park showcases leading technology in sport and green innovation, positioning the Olympic and Paralympic Movement at the forefront of sustainability. In a display of the bid’s focus on sustainability, the event was powered exclusively by StubHub Center’s energy storage system, managed by Stem, Inc. using a previously installed Tesla battery.
At its South Bay Sports Park, LA 2024 also released its Sustainability Vision digital booklet, available for download here. The 34-page booklet details LA 2024’s plan for a sustainable Games and its guiding principles to 1) work with what LA already has, 2) be responsible and do no harm, and 3) seek opportunity to create positive impact.
Brence Culp, LA 2024 Director of Sustainability and Legacy, was joined on stage at the event by StubHub Center General Manager Katie Pandolfo, Director of the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability Peter Kareiva, LA84 Foundation President and CEO Renata Simril and The California Endowment President and CEO Dr. Robert K. Ross.
Many of the organizations on LA 2024’s new Sustainability and Legacy Committee have contributed invaluable insights to LA 2024’s sustainability plans in the bid phase and will continue to do so leading up to the IOC’s host city election later this year. If Los Angeles is elected as the 2024 Host city, the Sustainability and Legacy Committee will play an especially critical role developing and managing a consistent approach to sustainable operations and procurement across all venues, including tailored targets for energy, water, waste and other important social and economic sustainability issues.
LA 2024 CEO Gene Sykes, who previously chaired the boards of The Nature Conservancy’s California Chapter and the National Parks Conservation Association, said: “To LA 2024, sustainability means firstly making the best, most responsible use of the assets at our disposal; and secondly ensuring lasting positive benefits for Los Angeles’ communities. The LA 2024 Sustainability and Legacy Committee will ensure that philosophy is a core guiding principle of our Games. Los Angeles’ abundance of existing infrastructure and our leadership in green technology makes our city the right partner for the Olympic Movement in 2024. LA 2024 will demonstrate the catalytic power of the Games to transform communities for the better, without risking billions of dollars on new infrastructure.”
StubHub Center General Manager Katie Pandolfo said: “We are proud to work with LA 2024 because we believe that LA 2024 presents a unique opportunity for sustainability efforts worldwide. With zero permanent construction required to deliver the Games, LA 2024 eliminates one of mega-events’ biggest carbon footprint and allows a greater focus than ever on innovative green solutions for a truly sustainable Games with positive impacts on the community and wider region.”
UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability Director Peter Kareiva said: “As the greatest celebration of sport on the planet, the Olympic and Paralympic Games present an terrific opportunity to spotlight environmental issues and advance sustainability goals worldwide. We look forward to seizing this opportunity with LA 2024 to deliver the greenest Games in history.”
LA84 Foundation President and CEO Renata Simril said: “Hosting the Olympics and Paralympics is a unique opportunity to again use sport to improve lives through health, education, leadership, culture and environmental stewardship. LA 2024’s commitment to seizing this opportunity guarantees that our Games leave a human legacy that will last for generations.”
The California Endowment President and CEO Dr. Robert K. Ross said: “LA and California are home to a thriving community of environmental, health and social leaders constantly imagining ‘what’s next’. We are thrilled to join LA 2024 and harness our region’s cutting-edge thinking to partner with the Olympic and Paralympic Movements and set a new standard for the positive environmental impact global sporting events can have on communities.”
LA 2024’s Sustainability and Legacy Committee
AECOM
AEG
Alliance for Water Stewardship
AltaSea
Anaheim Public Utilities
Aquarium of the Pacific
ArtCenter College of Design
Audubon California
Caltech
City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs
City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks
City of Los Angeles Sustainability Office
Council for Responsible Sport
County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation
Edison International / Southern California Edison
Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)
Esri
Friends of the LA River
Goldhirsh Foundation
Green Sports Alliance
Heal the Bay
Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA
LA County Arts Commission
LA RiverWorks
LA84 Foundation
Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)
Los Angeles County Sustainability Office
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Los Angeles Food Policy Council
Los Angeles Unified School District
NationBuilder
Natural Capital Project
Natural History Museum of LA County
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Pasadena Water and Power
Public Good
RiverLA
Sierra Club Los Angeles Chapter
Southern California Public Power Authority
The California Endowment
The Getty
The Nature Conservancy
TreePeople
University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Urban Sustainability Directors Network
University of Southern California (USC)
World Wildlife Fund
