Coe Says London 2012 Can Set Environmental Benchmark

Sebastian Coe said on Thursday that the London 2012 Games will herald a new era of environmental sustainability in the Olympic movement and inspire young people to think about safeguarding the planet.

"The days of building big simply because the last Games were big are over," Coe, chairman of the London organising committee (LOCOG), told delegates at a conference on the environment held at ExCel, one of the proposed 2012 venues.

"No Games should pass through a city without leaving a lasting impression. The Olympic Movement can be a vehicle for raising environmental awareness among new audiences."

The Olympic Deliver Authority (ODA) launched an ambitious sustainable development strategy in January with chief executive David Higgins saying 2012 can be the "greenest Games" ever.

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