Shaun McCarthy is one visitor to the Beijing Games who has more important matters on his mind than the triumphs & disasters of mere sporting competition. As Chair of the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012, he has an eye on a far greater prize. "Can we really deliver a sustainable legacy for East London? For me that has to be about thinking about legacy well into the future, not just four years into the future but 20 or 30 years," says Shaun McCarthy, 51, just a few days before he flies out to Beijing as an official observer.
"Many of the boroughs have a very young population in East London. Newham has 60% of its people under 16. It's a very young and diverse population: How can we create a sustainable living environment for these people?"
"That's the really big prize." Oil man to carbon conscious At first glance, Ealing-born Shaun McCarthy is an unlikely sustainability champion. An engineer by trade, he spent a decade working for the oil giant Shell in procurement and project management. However, it was at BAA, who looks after the UK's major airports, where he found his career turning a deeper shade of green.
"I started off by looking at local sustainability issues for BAA," he says. "Seeing how we could engage with local ethnic minority groups in our supply chain."
Soon he was developing a carbon strategy for BAA and becoming a fully fledged environmentalist. In his own words, Shaun McCarthy "brings a very strong business background into the sustainability arena."
The Commission The public can be forgiven for being cynical. If there's an issue in public life that needs to be looked at, rather than doing something about it, why not form a Commission instead?
But talking to Shaun McCarthy it is difficult not to be impressed by him and the work of his Commission. The role of Chair is part-time, and the day-to-day running of the organisation is done by a staff of just three people. In addition to the Chair, there are 11 voluntary Commissioners each of whom is able to offer advice on a different area of sustainability.
Officially launched in January 2007, the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 claims to be a completely new concept: An official body to oversee and ensure the sustainability of a major event.
Although, it has no statutory powers and is primarily an advisory body, it retains a great deal of influence and takes great pride in its independence. Crucially, Shaun McCarthy reports directly into the Chair of the Olympic Board - a role that is rotated between Tessa Jowell and Boris Johnson.
All the delivery bodies are aware that we report directly to their masters independently," says Shaun McCarthy. "They know that they can't brush things under the carpet. They won't be allowed to do so."
Changing the Games What cannot be doubted is the scale of Shaun McCarthy's ambition and what he believes can be achieved for 2012. There is the crucial aim of securing a legacy for East London and all that entails, such as affordable housing and skills training for local people.
But there is also the matter of changing the nature of the Olympics as well, both in the build up and during the Games itself.
For example, the Commission has been influential in changing how the construction industry is approaching the building of the Olympic venues. Suppliers are being asked to calculate how much energy is required to bring their concrete on to site. The industry, says Shaun McCarthy, has responded well to the new emphasis.
"I am even seeing manufacturers now saying, 'we were thinking about setting up a manufacturing plant in India but if clients are going to be asking about the carbon footprint of stuff, then is this the right thing to do?'"
And during the Games itself?
"The event management industry itself is very wasteful. Things get thrown away at the end of events - maybe we can look at ways that we can change that. Then there is food and catering. Can we make our Olympics different with sustainably produced merchandise?"
"We can use all of those things to set an example for how it can be done."
Going to Beijing When it comes to sustainability, Shaun McCarthy has kind words to say about the Sydney Games in 2000 and for the upcoming Vancouver Winter Games in 2010. On the other hand, he does admit to a philosophical difference between Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
"Look at the Bird's Nest, a huge steel structure that's very energy intensive to make. Because we are now looking at sustainability in a different way, we certainly wouldn't do something like that. But that's a function of time. Rather than Beijing doing something bad, it was just what everyone did at the time. Thinking has moved on already."
However, on the whole, he stresses that he is going to Beijing to learn. As you would expect, his week-long visit will involve a lot of meetings and a lot of talking with his hosts.
There will also be visits to different venues and talks with sponsors to see how they can become not just sponsors of the Olympics, but investors in East London. It is a trip that Shaun McCarthy seems determined to make the most of:
"The aim is to generally get a feel for how an Olympic Games is managed. This will be the last Summer Olympics before London. We have one shot at this. I will absorb as much as I can; I will make notes and hopefully we can do a better job when I get back."
This article also appears at www.bbc.co.uk/london