Watchdog chief resigns over Dow

Thursday, 26 January 2012 00:00 Source: The Telegraph

A prominent member of the independent watchdog set up to monitor the sustainability of the London Olympics has resigned in protest at Dow Chemical’s sponsorship of the Olympic Stadium wrap. London 2012 Olympics: Games watchdog commissioner Meredith Alexander resigns over London's sponsorship link with Dow Chemical

London 2012 Olympics: Games watchdog commissioner Meredith Alexander resigns over London's sponsorship link with Dow Chemical

People power: survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy and other supporters stand near effigies of London Olympic organising committee chairman Sebastian Coe and Indian Olympic Association's Vijay K. Malhotra to protest a sponsorship deal with Dow Chemicals for the 2012 Olympics last December Photo: AP

Meredith Alexander, who sits on the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012, has quit her unpaid role over the controversial £7 million deal with the chemical giant, which has angered human rights campaigners because of Dow’s links to Union Carbide, the company responsible for the Bhopal gas disaster in 1984.

In a statement, the commission said it was “sorry to confirm the resignation of Commissioner Meredith Alexander, whose remit covered supply chains and behaviour change”.

It added: “Meredith has stated that the reason for her resignation is that she does not feel she can remain with the commission in light of Locog’s appointment of Dow Chemical as the stadium wrap supplier, and the commission fully respects her decision to leave on this basis.”

Alexander’s resignation comes after Lord Coe, the chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, defended the Dow Chemical deal, insisting that the company had no involvement with Bhopal at the time of the disaster or when the final compensation settlement was agreed.

The commission, which is part-funded by Locog, was set up in 2007 to oversee the sustainability standards of the Olympic delivery bodies, fulfilling the promise made by London during the 2012 bidding phase that its sustainability commitments would be independently monitored.

However, the commission’s remit does extend to human rights issues or questioning sponsorship arrangements.

Shaun McCarthy, the commission chairman, said: “While we wholeheartedly agree that human rights are of paramount importance, it is not something we as an organisation are empowered to handle.”

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Athletes and officials arriving from overseas for the will have to supply biometric, facial and fingerprint data before being allowed entry in a tightening of UK border controls.