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1. The London 2012 Olympic Games promise to be the ‘greenest ever’

2. Tower Bridge will feature energy-effi cient lighting in 2012 thanks to EDF and GE

3. The Thames Gateway redevelopment offers scope for energy-effi ciency improvements

4. Network Rail is exploring ways to improve energy effi ciency with GE’s help

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Through its Olympics and Crossrail connections, GE has also created a rail grid initiative, which aims to identify ways for Network Rail to run a more energy effi cient and productive business. It is an example, says Gale, of how GE’s work on London 2012 is helping focus minds and pull disparate parts of the organisation together for future projects. The company is now using this new-found focus in the UK to look at some big markets. “We look at areas like energy effi ciency in homes, distributed energy and district heating,” states Gale. “These are global

opportunities for us, born out of the concept of the greenest Games ever.” Global construction company and

project developer Skanska, which has revenues of £11bn, is one group GE has developed a closer working relationship with through its Games work. The role of such complex project integrators will be central to the deployment of smarter cities and grids, more effi cient offi ce developments and other new green and clean technology products and services. “The lead the UK is taking in pursuing a more effi cient, less carbon-intensive

economy and the fact so much green R&D is located in Britain will create global opportunities,” says Craig Sparrow, director of green business for Skanska. “It will bring private fi nance and it will develop jobs and service sectors.” The collaborative efforts of large-scale technology fi rms and project managers such as GE and Skanska to deploy ambitious energy-effi ciency measures can also save the UK’s private and public sectors money, making them leaner and cleaner, according to Sparrow. “A smart grid and smarter cities can save fortunes,” he says. “Turning off clients’ chillers, and technologies like CHP can really signifi cantly cut operating costs. But building out the infrastructure for district-wide systems is a huge task. Local authorities can’t do it on their own. It needs organisations of size and complexity to step up to that challenge.” Given the fi nancial constraints many businesses and public sector bodies face, many of these projects will need

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