London-based energy giant BP will be responsible for providing fueling facilities for the vehicles in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, as well as providing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for catering, vehicle-washing facilities and technical support services, including a system for tracking and reporting carbon emissions, the company said.
BP said it aims to support the Cultural Olympiad, building upon its long-standing and extensive arts, culture and educational programs. Through touring exhibitions and outreach programs, the company said it hopes the initiatives provide opportunities to promote and support the Cultural Olympiad across the UK. BP will also provide the same services for the Paralympic Games in London that year.
Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), welcomed the announcement. “From the moment the Olympic flag is handed to London, the eyes of the world will be on the UK,” Coe said. “So I am delighted that we have the best of British companies joining us on our journey to 2012 to deliver a truly memorable Olympic and Paralympic Games.
"BP has a well established track record of supporting the expertise and passion of our creative and cultural industries, and I hope that we will be able to draw upon this for our four-year cultural program, which aims to inextricably link sport, culture, community and education,” Coe said.
Tony Hayward, Group Chief Executive of BP, said: "The Olympic movement is founded on a belief in human endeavor and high performance, attributes which are at the heart of BP’s own agenda. As the UK’s largest company with headquarters in London we want to support this momentous event, which will also provide a unique opportunity to engage with our own large UK and global workforce, the millions of customers we serve each day and our existing partners in the arts, education and cultural arena.
Tony Hayward, group chief executive at BP said his company will increasingly target its marketing and social engagement activities between now and 2012 “to reflect the building excitement around the Cultural Olympiad and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
LOCOG now has six Tier One Partners for the 2012 games, including Lloyds TSB (banking and insurance partner); EDF Energy (utilities services partner); Adidas (sportswear partner) and British Airways (airline partner). The Tier Two supporter is Deloitte.
The Worldwide Olympic Partners already signed up for 2012 are Coca-Cola, Atos Origin, GE, McDonalds, Omega, Panasonic, Samsung and Visa.
The Cultural Olympiad for the London 2012 Games will be a four-year program of cultural projects that will reach across the whole of the UK. It will include national and local projects inspired by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and it celebrates the UK as a global nation, according to BP.