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MPs 'to criticise' 2012 finances London 2012 'to be greenest ever'
(about 2 hours later)
The government's handling of finances for the 2012 London Olympic Games is expected to be criticised in a report published by MPs. The London 2012 Olympics are to be the greenest games in history, organisers have said.
The costs of building venues for the games has risen by more than £900m to £3.3bn but there is no indication yet how the funding gap will be bridged. With 2,012 days to go, the body in charge of construction and design said it would champion low waste, low carbon emissions and green transportation.
Some £1.5bn lottery cash is earmarked for building and staging the games. Prime Minister Tony Blair said London 2012 could become a "cutting edge example of sustainability".
The Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee is expected to call for a cap on lottery spending on the event. The government though is expected to be criticised for its handling of finances in an MPs' report due out on Wednesday.
Still confident Olympic Delivery Authority chief executive David Higgins said: "Ensuring a sustainable approach to building the Games will help ensure London 2012 is remembered not only as two weeks of fantastic sporting action, but also as the greenest games to date."
But the report's publication on Wednesday comes in the month the government indicated it may dip into National Lottery funds to make up for the shortfall in the final budget. Better than Sydney
The ODA claims it will cut emissions to 50% by generating energy on the site and renewable energy.
It also said about 90% of the demolition materials will be reused or recycled and at least 20% of materials used in permanent venues and residential areas would be recycled.
And half of the construction materials will be transported to the Olympic Park by rail and water.
Walking, cycling and public transport will be promoted as the best ways to get to the events.
London Olympic Organising chairman Lord Coe and Mr Blair responded to the strategy in a joint podcast.
We are in very secure territory Lord Coe
Lord Coe said London was trying to produce a better example of green and sustainable Games than the much-praised Sydney 2000 Games.
The green strategy however could be overshadowed by Wednesday's report by MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.
It is expected to call for a cap on lottery spending on the event which is currently set at £1.5bn for building and staging the event.
Earlier this month, the government indicated it may dip into National Lottery funds to make up for the shortfall in the final budget.
It accepted such a decision would mean loss of income to non-Olympic good causes but said the benefits of staging the games will far outstrip the costs.It accepted such a decision would mean loss of income to non-Olympic good causes but said the benefits of staging the games will far outstrip the costs.
Meanwhile, the 2012 organising committee chairman Sebastian Coe has said he was "very confident" the International Olympic Committee will be happy with progress when its co-ordination commission visits London in June. The costs of building venues for the games has risen by more than £900m to £3.3bn but there is no indication yet how the funding gap will be bridged.
"The issues around costs are in no way related to the progress being made," he said. Lord Coe said that research showed support in London for the Games was at its highest.
Speaking exactly 2,012 days before the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, Lord Coe said: "The designs and contracts for big five venues - the Olympic Stadium, aquatics centre, Olympic village, velopark and broadcasting and press centres - are well under way." "We are in very secure territory," he told BBC One's Breakfast.
He said work has already begun on the aquatics centre site and construction of the other projects should start by next year. He added that the government was carrying out a "careful examination" of costs and it was right have these discussions now, rather than years after the Games.