Beijing 's Preparations for the "Green Olympics"

　"Green Olympics" is designated as one of the three themes of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing . Bearing in mind the principles in the Olympic Movement Agenda 21 and the specific local conditions, our preparations in the past two years have been focusing on the following three areas:

　I. Support Beijing Municipality in improving the urban environment

  　  The Beijng bidding committee, based on the Games requirements, has worked closely with the Beijing municipal government on setting up the environmental goals:

    - Enhance the environmental infrastructure development during the Games preparation and operation

    - Improve the local ecologic condition

    - Promote the sustainable, coordinated development of economy, society and environment.

    With great efforts, Beijing has implemented its nine-phase environmental improvement plan extending from 1998 to 2003. All projects have been progressing smoothly and the goals of comprehensive environmental management have been achieved at this initial stage. Air pollution has been effectively controlled. In 2003 the air quality of 61.4% of the days is classified as Grade II or better, which was 27.4% in 1998.Water environment treatment has improved. Waste water treatment rate reaches 56% in urban and suburban areas, a significant increase from 22% in 1998. More progress has been made in ecological protection. Total forest coverage rises to 47.5%, which was 40% in 1998.

     Beijing is developing rapidly but the infrastructure is underdeveloped and the local environment is not as good compared with the developed countries. Hosting the Olympic Games brings both challenge and opportunity to Beijing . In order to meet the Games requirements, the biding committee has developed the environmental plans with the Beijing municipal government. BOCOG will communicate Beijing 's environmental progress, urgency and achievements to the IOC and the public,then provide their feedback to the municipal government.

　BOCOG will act in accordance with the national environmental policies, laws and standards and support the city's environmental efforts. Recently many areas in China is facing an energy shortage so over seven national ministries like the National Development and Reform Commission have initiated a national campaign to reduce the use of electricity by one degree. BOCOG thus quickly responded and called on the Olympic hotels to lower the air-conditioned temperature by one centigrade. This means 10% cut of electricity consumption.

    II. Incorporate the concept of sustainable development into the preparation and operation of 2008 Olympic Games.

    Although preparing for the Olympic Games is a huge, complicated project, it must be guided by the fundamental policy of environmental protection. The related laws and standards must be obeyed in order to protect the environment and resources and maintain the ecological balance. To minimize the negative impacts on environment and ecological system, the principles of sustainable development must be considered in implementing the major projects such as venue construction, marketing, procurement, logistics, accommodation, catering, signature events, etc. As committed in the bid to present an excellent Green Games in 2008, BOCOG will establish a scientific mode of environmental management in compliance with ISO 14001 requirements. Recently our environmental policy has been issued, which was signed off by Mr. Liu Qi, President of BOCOG. We are now developing an environmental management system to ensure the fulfillment of the environmental commitments in the bid.

    Regarding the venue construction, some steps have been taken to minimize the related negative impacts:

    - The environmental guidelines for the Olympic venues have been formulated to ensure the work meet or exceed the relevant national standards. These standards are stricter than the current national standards. Some are even close to the international standards. All key environmental aspects have been covered such as water conservation and protection, energy saving and using clean energy, landscaping and ecological protection, use of the environmentally-friendly building materials, solid waste management, noise pollution etc.

    - Bidder's environmental responsibilities are clearly defined in the bid documents. Environmental assessment is required. The facilities for pollution prevention must be designed, constructed and operated simultaneously with the major construction work. The bidder has to take the relevant financial responsibilities.

    - A set of green construction guidelines has been developed. The venue owners must carry out stringent measures to prevent the pollution of fly dust, waste water, construction waste and noise caused by construction work.

    - BOCOG has organized a seminar for the suppliers and venue owners to meet and exchange information. Beijing 2008 Olympics has attracted the attention of the environmental agencies and suppliers worldwide. They are all active in providing their technology and products for the use of the Olympics. On the other hand, the venue owners also want to learn about the advanced environmental technologies. Therefore, this meeting provides a good platform for the suppliers to participate in the Olympic services and for the owners to select the best technology and product they need.

    - More guidelines will be compiled to guide the environmental management of the major Olympic activities including marketing, procurement, logistics, accommodation, catering and big events. After the Games, the new mode of environmental management, new technologies and standards can be continually implemented as the Olympic legacy.

    III. Improve the environmental awareness of the public

    Environment is improved not only through engineering measures but also dependent on strong public awareness and participation. With its global popularity, the Olympic Games brings an excellent opportunity for the environmental communication and education.

    BOCOG is to communicate to the world the following environmental messages:

    - Environmental management of the Olympic Games. Various environment issues occur with the progress of all major activities such as venue construction, marketing, games services, procurement, etc. In order to regulate their environmental management, BOCOG Environmental Activities Department will work with the related departments to develop the guidelines and put them in practice. Through this working mechanism, the different departments can reach agreement and understand better their environmental issues. This also gives a chance for all parties involved, the athletes, staff and spectators to participate and experience the creation of a green Olympic Games.

    - Measures that Beijing Municipal Government has taken to protect the natural resources, maintain the ecological balance and enhance the sustainable development, and the progress made in urban environment improvement.

    - Necessity and urgency of protecting the environment. Beijing is rapidly developing yet some problems exist. The natural environment and infrastructure need much improvement. Industrial emission is high and the number of automobiles keeps growing. Great efforts are needed in order to create a good environment that meets the high requirements of organizing the Olympic Games. We will communicate to the world Beijing 's environmental plans, actions, achievements and the rich environmental legacy left to Beijing after the Games.

    BOCOG will work closely with the functional departments of the national and municipal government, with the enthusiastic NGOs and civil society to implement the communication programs in various ways. Various social activities will be carried out step by step in Beijing in an organized manner.

    These activities cover several aspects like waste classification, tree planting, wildlife protection, resource conservation, green consumption etc. Therefore a wider public will be involved in the activities like green community, green school, green business, green tourism, green factory, green unit, etc.

    The initiatives of the government, the enterprises and the public must be brought to full play in order to improve the public awareness. Everyone can participate in environmental protection and a three-party interaction mechanism can be established.

Hosting the Olympic Games is an unprecedented, great occasion for the Chinese people. The Games itself, together with global economic, social and environmental impacts, is attracting more and more attention worldwide. We believe that through staging the 2008 Olympics, Beijing will leave a sound environmental legacy to China and the world including the green demonstration venues, a new environmental management mode for organizing huge sports events, public participation in environmental protection and the continuous improvement of urban environment.

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