Olympic bosses are gearing up to go carbon neutral. Officials have been in talks for four months over whether the 2012 Games could reduce emissions to a minimum and offset the rest.

The task would take into account the impact of all aspects of the Games, from embodied energy in the construction process to carbon emissions from spectators flying in to watch.

The first step is to define the carbon footprint. Shaun McCarthy, head of an independent body set up to monitor the sustainability of the Games, said: “Lots of other companies have said they will be carbon neutral by 2012 so this is obviously the direction good practice is going in.”