WWF Gives Athens Olympics No Green Medals

ATHENS, Greece, July 16, 2004 (ENS) - The Athens Olympic Games will not open until August 13, but already they have failed to deliver on pledges of environmental friendliness, according to a new report released today by the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF).

In the first comprehensive assessment of environmental costs and benefits of the 2004 Summer Olympics, WWF said the International Olympic Committee (IOC) did little to ensure the environment would not be damaged by construction of the venues and the conduct of the events.

"Unfortunately, the environment never figured as a priority in the planning of the Athens Olympic Games," said Demetres Karavellas, chief executive officer of WWF-Greece.

"While the IOC calls the environment its third pillar of Olympism, it has done very little to keep this from crumbling under the weight of other priorities," he said. Athens organizers have had a heavy security burden to bear as they attempt to provide a safe environment for the Games.

Schinias Olympic Rowing and Canoeing Centre, June 2004. (Photo courtesy Athens 2004)

There were a few bright spots in the WWF report. The highest scores went to the fields of public transport, the improvement of existing infrastructure, and the promotion of environmental awareness. But the WWF expressed concern that these wins may disappear when the Olympic Games are finished on August 29.

The lowest scores were given to areas such as environmental planning and evaluation, protection of fragile natural and cultural areas, waste management and water conservation, and the use of environmentally-friendly construction technologies.

According to the WWF report, during the seven years since Athens won the 2004 bid to host the Olympics, the organizing authorities made no effort to integrate the environment in the planning. The environmental group faults the IOC for failing to enforce the environmental regulations in the Olympics charter.

"As a result, the Athens Organizing Committee and the Greek government failed to deliver on their commitments to abide by basic environmental standards, such as the use of solar power and recycling and waste management," the WWF said.

"Beyond excellence in sports, the Olympic Games should also be a showcase for the highest environmental standards and sustainable development," said Karavellas. "The IOC and the promoters of candidate cities must ensure they do not leave behind a legacy of environmental degradation."

Olympic organizers say they are working hard to ensure the Games are clean and green. On June 25, a marine exercise to practice dealing with an oil spill during the Olympics went off without a hitch.

The exercise in the sea just off the Agios Kosmas Olympic Sailing Centre was jointly organized by the Athens Olympic Committee and Techniki Prostasias Perivallontos S.A., an environmental protection company who have put their staff and equipment at the disposal of the Organizing Committee, free of charge, for the duration of the Olympics.

According to the exercise scenario, an unidentified tanker spilled fuel oil residues into the sea during the night, threatening Olympic Venues. Because of the wind's direction, the oil residue flowed towards the area where the sailing competition will take place.

The company's staff and specially designed craft managed to contain the oil residue, collect it with special craft, and clean up the sea using specialized counter-pollution material.

Oceanographer Vasileios Mamaloukas-Fragkoulis, head of the Marine Environment Protection Department and the exercise supervisor, said it was conducted "on quite a satisfactory level."

Piles of construction debris left in the forest habitat of Schinias (Photo by T. Nantsou © WWF Greece)

But in a report to the European Commission on June 24, British MP Eddie O'Hara said that the Greek Government's Olympic works at Schinias have regenerated the Greater Marathon district and prevented further pollution and destruction of the natural environment there.

O'Hara visited the Marathon district and the Schinias Olympic Rowing Centre on May 7 to inspect the local archeological site and the Olympic construction works. He praised the environmental conservation and development work done and the measures taken to protect the archeological treasures found at Marathonas and due to be exhibited during the Games.

The works in this area are "a plus for the environment, not a minus," said the Labour MP. He said the area should be inspected again after the Games, to see whether the local environment is still in as "the same excellent condition as it is now."

WWF's Karavellas was less complimentary. "Greece must now move forward and look at what can be done to reverse the environmental impacts the day after the Games," he said.