Sustainability

For VANOC, sustainability means managing the social, economic and environmental impacts and opportunities of our Games to produce lasting benefits, locally and globally.

Our Vision
A stronger Canada whose spirit is raised by its passion for sport, culture and sustainability.

Our Mission
To touch the soul of the nation and inspire the world by creating and delivering an extraordinary Olympic and Paralympic experience with lasting legacies.

Our Values
Team, Trust, Excellence, Sustainability, Creativity

Sustainability and the Olympic Games

Sport and Culture are the traditional pillars of the Olympic Games. At the Centennial Olympic Congress in 1994, the IOC created a new pillar, Environment, while establishing a Sport and Environment Commission.

Stemming from the 1994 proceedings, in 1999 the IOC adopted its own version of the United Nations’ Agenda 21 for Sustainable Development. Called Sport for Sustainable Development, this statement outlined a program of action for using sport to advance sustainable development. To help implement this plan, the IOC established a formal collaboration with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The Olympic Games version of Agenda 21 has three objectives:

Improve socio-economic conditions in host communities
Improve Games-based practices on environmental conservation
Strengthen the inclusion of women, youth and Indigenous peoples in the Games

While sustainability is still a relatively new discipline within Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committees, it is arguably a good fit with the core values and ideals of the Olympic Movement.

Implementation Documents

In planning and staging the Games, VANOC must comply with the Olympic Charter, our Host City Contract and instructions from the Executive Board of the IOC. Other documents relevant to our sustainability commitments include:

2002 - Multi-party Agreement for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games
2002-05 - A series of agreements between VANOC and the Four Host First Nations (FHFN)
Inner-City Inclusive Commitment Statement
2004 - Requirements as per federal and provincial environmental assessment (EA) legislation

Sustainability Performance Objectives

VANOC has established a set of six corporate-wide sustainability performance objectives. These objectives are based on bid commitments, best management practices of other Organizing Committees and leading sustainability firms, and input from sustainability experts, key partners and stakeholders.

Our sustainability performance objectives have been incorporated into all of our business systems. As a result, responsibility for our sustainability commitments and outcomes is distributed across the entire organization and reflected in the performance plan and compensation of VANOC employees.

Our Sustainability Performance Objectives:

Accountability

To behave ethically, set measurable performance targets and communicate openly about our progress and challenges
To consult with external groups affected by our activities

Environmental Stewardship and Impact Reduction

To conserve natural environments and manage, mitigate and offset negative impacts

Social Inclusion and Responsibility

To convene accessible Games that have a positive impact on socially and economically disadvantaged groups that otherwise would not benefit
To care for our workforce, protect human rights, and ensure health and safety

Aboriginal Participation and Collaboration

To work with our partners to achieve our goal of unprecedented Aboriginal participation in the planning and hosting of the Games, and in the creation of Games legacies.

Economic Benefits

To demonstrate that sustainable innovation and practice makes good business sense

Sport for Sustainable Living

To use sport, and growing athlete and public interest in living more sustainably, to inspire action on local and global sustainability challenges

Sustainability Reporting

Sustainability reporting is the process of setting out our plans for achieving our sustainability objectives, and our performance to date. Our efforts are captured on subsequent pages of this site. You can also review our Sustainability Reports for a look at our performance over the last two fiscal years, and to find out more about the sustainability reporting process.

To help provide context in relation to other Olympic Games, see our Comparison of Sustainability Initiatives by Games Organizing Committees chart for a comparison of VANOC sustainability initiatives with those of previous Organizing Committees.

Sustainability Performance Reporting Boundaries

VANOC collaborates with many partners, stakeholders and sponsors. It can be confusing for observers to know who is responsible for projects that seem connected to the Games. People may expect us to take account for, or respond to a broader range of community initiatives or public works projects than we are responsible for.

For example, two major transportation projects are currently underway in the Games region: an upgrade of the Sea-to-Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler and construction of a light rail rapid transit system between downtown Vancouver and the airport. These projects are public infrastructure projects funded and managed by different levels of government. They are not within VANOC’s sustainability reporting scope.

We have drawn our sustainability reporting boundaries around those issues and activities where VANOC has direct decision-making authority. Our approach is to measure what we can control and to describe what we can influence, especially where the impacts are significant.

Within VANOC’s control (examples)

Procurement
Transportation which doesn’t involve collaboration with TransLink and BC Transit (for spectators, media, athletes, Olympic and Paralympic Family and sponsors, VANOC operations)
Health and safety of VANOC workforce
VANOC performance on agreements with the Four Host First Nations
VANOC performance on bid-phase inner-city commitments
All Games-time operations in all Olympic and Paralympic venues, sites and villages
Construction of:
- Whistler Olympic Park (formerly called Whistler Nordic Venue) (biathlon, cross-country-skiing, Nordic combined, ski jumping)
- The Whistler Sliding Centre (bobsleigh, luge, skeleton) \
- Whistler Creekside (alpine skiing)
- Cypress Mountain (freestyle skiing, snowboard)
- Hillcrest/Nat Bailey Stadium Park (curling, wheelchair curling)
- Upgrades/improvements to existing facilities including:
  - General Motors Place (ice hockey)
  - BC Place Stadium (Opening and Closing Ceremonies)
  - Pacific Coliseum at Hastings Park (figure skating, short track speed skating)
  - VANOC Head Office

Under VANOC’s influence (examples)

Transportation which involves collaboration with TransLink and BC Transit (for workforce/spectator travel)
Construction of:
- Olympic and Paralympic Village Whistler
- Olympic and Paralympic Village Vancouver
- Richmond Oval (speed skating)
- UBC Winter Sports Centre (ice hockey, ice sledge hockey)
- Upgrades/improvements to existing facilities including:
  - Community ice rinks for practice: Killarney Rink, Trout Lake Rink and Britannia Arena

Sustainability Performance Summary

Our Sustainability Performance Summary is comprised of a list of qualitative and quantitative performance areas designed to help monitor, measure and evaluate our sustainability performance. It sets out our performance goals and how well we actually accomplished them.

2006-07 Summary of Key Sustainability Performance Indicators	Draft Dec 14 2007

2006-07 Key Measures	2006-07 Results
1. Accountability
Performance Objectives:
To behave ethically, set measurable performance targets and communicate openly about our progress and challenges To consult with external groups affected by our activities
Annual sustainability performance review by VANOC Senior Executive, Board and an external advisory committee	SMRS Management Review completed by Executive and Board; all 10 SMRS procedures implemented
Frequency and type of stakeholder engagement on VANOC sustainability reporting and programs	82 engagements on sustainability reporting and programs (16 consultations, 44 information-sharing, 9 advice-seeking, 13 shared decision-making); VANOC also conducted engagement on issues such as transportation planning, the Cultural Olympiad and environmental compliance
Stakeholder satisfaction with reporting process	Most stakeholders found VANOC's first report useful, comprehensive and accountable. In future they expect more metrics, results and balance as well as earlier involvement.
Number of reportable infractions of Ethics Policy and Program	0 infractions

2. Environmental Stewardship and Impact Reduction
Performance Objective:
To conserve natural environments and manage, mitigate and offset negative impacts
Location and size of land used within or near protected areas or areas of high biodiversity value	5.9 km ² across 11 venues
Number of infractions and/or value of monetary fines for non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations	0 infractions of environmental laws and regulations
Number and volume of significant spills	0
Total energy consumed	59,194 gigajoules
Total GHG Emissions	3,366 tonnes CO2 Equivalent
Composition of vehicle fleet: total and per cent low emissions	96 vehicles total; 50% low emissions (19 hybrids; 29 Advanced Fuel Management)
Number of newly constructed venues and/or villages applying for independent certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system	9 of 10 (UBC Winter Sports Centre is complying with UBC's own green building criteria)
Weight of waste diverted from landfill and percent of total	526 metric tonnes; 98% of total waste (not including land clearing debris)

3. Social Inclusion and Responsibility
Performance Objective:
To convene accessible Games that have a positive impact on socially and economically disadvantaged groups that otherwise would not benefit To care for our workforce, protect human rights and ensure health and safety
Number of completed accessibility design reviews	3 of 3 planned reviews for venues and villages were completed
Number of construction training positions created for inner-city residents through VANOC collaborations with community service providers, the construction sector and government partners	212 positions created with training to be implemented between 2008 - 2010
Number of non-market social housing units as a legacy from the Olympic and Paralympic Athletes Village Vancouver	250 non-market units
Number of affordable beds (for resident workers) as a planned legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Athletes VillageWhistler	1,000 beds
Number of pre-Games volunteers	183
Number of workplace health and safety incidents reportable to WorkSafeBC	18 incidents (10 compensable lost time injuries; 7 potential to result in injury; 1 structural failure)
Rate of employee and volunteer engagement	78% employees; 86% volunteers
Percentages of workforce by gender, age, ethnicity* and disability* (*self-identified in a voluntary survey)	50% women and 50% men; <30 yrs: 20%; 30 – 39 yrs: 43%; 40 – 49 yrs: 24%; >50 yrs: 13 %; Aboriginal: 1.2%; Visible Minority: 8.1%; Persons with disabilities: 0.4%

4. Aboriginal Participation and Collaboration
Performance Objective:
To work with our partners to achieve our goal of unprecedented Aboriginal participation in the planning and hosting of the Games, and in the creation of Games legacies
Initiatives to encourage greater Aboriginal participation in sport and to celebrate the achievements of Aboriginal athletes	Aboriginal Sport Poster Series (20,000 distributed nationally)
Value of VANOC venue construction and non-venue contracts let to Aboriginal businesses	$25,461,000 in venue construction, $118,000 in non-venue contracts
Initiatives and events to showcase and celebrate Aboriginal arts and culture	Development of 2010 Aboriginal Licensing and Merchandise program (ongoing); Paralympic emblem launch, FHFN logo launch, and Torch Relay consultations
Number of page views to Aboriginal Participation section of vancouver2010.com; number of individuals subscribed to Aboriginal Participation updates	52,337 page views to Aboriginal Participation section of vancouver2010.com; 2,750 people signed up for VANOC Aboriginal Participation updates

5. Economic Benefits
Performance Objective:
To demonstrate that sustainable innovation and practice makes good business sense
Number and percentage of suppliers that met Canadian human rights standards	51 of our 51 suppliers (100%)
Number of audits of licensees and corrective action plans for continuous improvement	80 audits were conducted; 74 corrective action plans for continual improvement were initiated; 6 factories were banned from producing merchandise until critical assessments were addressed
Number and value of Buy Smart contracts (sustainability and Aboriginal Participation procurement program), and percentage of total value of VANOC contracts	64 Buy Smart contracts at a total value of $33,767,000; 99% of total VANOC contracts
Percentage of spending on locally-based suppliers* (*Vancouver, Whistler, Richmond and West Vancouver)	60% of spending was on locally-based suppliers
Number of sustainability innovations identified (venues, villages, operations)	4 innovations were identified (new to Games and/or new to region)

6. Sport for Sustainable Living
Performance Objective:
To use sport, and growing athlete and public interest in living more sustainably, to inspire action on local and global sustainability challenges
Number and type of initiatives to support sustainable living	With Environment Canada, commissioned research on how the 2010 Winter Games could help promote individual and organizational awareness and action on sustainable choices; Engaged staff on such initiatives and programs as commuter challenge, wellness programs, an community volunteering
Number and type of Paralympic outreach programs	Paralympic School Days pilot programreached 3,200 students; received positive feedback from school teachers, administrators, district representatives, and volunteers

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