The Winter Olympic Games will feature a green and sustainable management system and boost regional development of Beijing and its co-host city Zhangjiakou, said Beijing 2022 organizers at a press conference on Thursday.
Carbon-neutral Games
The Beijing 2022 Games has strictly implemented low-carbon management, with all venues meeting green building standards, said Li Sen, director general of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games (BOCOG) General Planning Department.
A low-carbon transportation system has been built to carry out carbon offsets, Li said, adding that Beijing 2022 will be carbon neutral.
Sustainability on snowmaking, venues and railways
"Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics is the first Games to fully implement Olympic Agenda 2020 with focus on sustainability," said Yan Jiarong, BOCOG spokesperson.
Snowmaking is common for major winter events, and Beijing 2022 follows the best environmental practices, the organizers said.
All venues are powered by renewable energy, and Beijing has built a railway network between the Olympic zones, boosting the regional service sector, they said.
Beijing 2022 Pre-Games Sustainability Report
BOCOG released the Beijing 2022 Pre-Games Sustainability Report at the conference. It echoes the latest statistics released by the General Administration of Sport of China showing 346 million people have now participated in winter sports.
The goal of "engaging 300 million people on the snow and ice" has become a reality, said BOCOG, adding that China's winter sports have been growing rapidly in recent years and relevant policies to promote winter sports will continue after the Games.
Both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons spoke highly of the report via videos showed at the conference.
