So the euphoria has started to subside, medals have been counted, tears of joy and disappointment shed, coaches thanked, families hugged and knighthoods proposed by the bucketful. But did London 2012 deliver the most sustainable Games ever and what exactly does that mean for our businesses?

As Chair of the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 it has been my role to provide assurance over the sustainability of the preparation, Games and legacy. I think I can conclude that London 2012 deserves a gold medal for sustainability, if not a Nadia Comeneci “Perfect 10”. Readers under 40 may need to Google that one.

The Olympic Delivery Authority got the programme off to a flying start by delivering exemplary sustainable infrastructure and venues. The Olympic Park is supplied by a highly efficient combined heat and power system linked to a similar plant at the massive Westfield shopping mall. These use waste heat from generating electricity to heat and cool buildings via a district heating infrastructure, which has capacity for five times as much heat in future. The water in the district heating system is supplied from one of London’s main sewers close to the park, cleaned up by the UK’s first membrane bio-reactor which uses bacteria to convert waste water to fresh water.

The bio-reactor is also used to irrigate green areas in the park and flush toilets. The venues are all at least 15 per cent more energy efficient than required by the building regulations and the Velodrome achieves 30 per cent. With the exception of the Aquatic Centre and the Orbit Tower, all the buildings are light in construction, using less natural resources. Targets for sustainable materials have led to great innovation such as the sustainable timber cladding on the Velodrome, recycled copper for the Copper Box, recycled aluminium for the roof of the Aquatic Centre and use of surplus gas pipes for the ring of steel supporting the lights on the Stadium.

The concrete industry has done its bit too, with 43 per cent lower carbon footprint than conventional concrete. The Olympic Village is highly energy efficient and uses rainwater for irrigation and toilet flushing. It is the most efficient development of its type. It also looks great and will offer 2,800 high quality homes, representing the starting point for the regeneration of the East End.

All of this has provided a massive boost for the construction industry, not just providing business during a deep recession but also enabling the industry and its supply chain to learn and benefit from new skills. Leading construction firms see sustainability as a valuable element of competitive advantage in a tough market. We are also seeing these skills being exported.

The Barangaroo development in Sydney has set even more challenging objectives than London 2012 based on the lessons learned by developer Lendlease from the construction of the Olympic Village.

The London Organising Committee (LOCOG) food vision set out a standard for a wide variety of tasty, fresh, local and sustainability sourced food. Supermarkets have been doing this for some time but the catering industry was new to some of these standards. The result is astonishing; organic milk, Marine Stewardship Council certified fish, Red Tractor certified meat, free range eggs, fair trade tea and coffee.

People criticise McDonald’s but they signed up to all these principles with the minor exception that they prefer Rainforest Alliance to certify their coffee. The McDonald’s menu on the park has calorie information and a good selection of healthy choices in addition to their traditional products. Even though the “world’s largest McDonald’s” was packed, it only served 10 per cent of the meals, the remainder offered by a huge variety of outlets serving every type food imaginable. I think this represents a major step forward for the catering sector, demonstrating that it is possible to deliver quality, sustainability and value for money.

I have been fascinated by reports of West End shops and eateries being quiet during the Games. My observations would suggest that people going to see some sport on the Olympic Park tend to stay on the park because it is a great green space with great food and entertainment. Alternatively they are choosing to stay in Stratford because they have everything they need there bar a high concentration of theatres.

There is no need to go to the West End for food and shopping. This statement would not have been credible five years ago but it is now. London 2012 sees the arrival of the East End as a destination and hopefully the start of an economic legacy for this part of the city.

The final word has to go to London’s transport system. This is the world’s first public transport Games with no spectator parking at venues. Despite all the predictions of doom and gridlock it all worked well. People from all over the world have been wowed by London’s public transport system and in particular the great connectivity offered by Stratford. I hope this also contributes to the legacy and encourages inward investment in the area.