Beijing/Nairobi, 25 October
2007 - Remaining Concerns include Air Pollution;
Offsetting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions;
Public Awareness and Need to Boost Public
Transport Use
Significant strides are being made to 'green'
the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, a report
issued today by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) says.
The hosting of the Games is also proving
to be a catalyst for accelerating environmental
improvements across the city as Beijing
strives to balance rapid, often double-digit
economic growth with health and environmental
protection.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General
and UNEP Executive Director, said: "The
initial score card on the Beijing Olympics
and Paralympics 2008 is positive in terms
of the greening of the games".
"The more than $12 billion spent by
the Municipal Government and Government
of China, appears to have been well spent-and
will be even more well spent if the lessons
learnt and measures adopted are picked up
by municipalities across the country so
as to leave a real and lasting nationwide
legacy," he added.
The report says environmental measures
are being introduced covering waste management,
cleaner transport systems and water treatment,
as well as new urban green belts including
a 580-hectare Olympic Forest Park.
The Beijing Organizing Committee for the
Olympic Games (BOCOG) should also be commended
for accelerating the phase-out of ozone
depleting chemicals and for the provision
of energy efficiency and green energy appliances
at buildings and sports venues.
The report says: "An interesting innovation
is the widespread use in the venues of ground,
water or air source heat pumps systems to
provide buildings with heat in winter and
air conditioning in summertime".
Solar power is also being extensively deployed
at stadia and at the Olympic village and
the organizers have well-developed plans
to re-use and recycle venues after the games
close.
But while the report acknowledges the significant
investment and achievements of the organizers
of the 2008 Olympic Games, it also highlights
some remaining concerns and missed opportunities
that there may still be time to rectify.
Some of these are specific to the Games
themselves, while others are linked to challenges
facing the city of Beijing generally as
it attempts to reduce pollution and steer
its development onto a more sustainable
path.
Air Pollution
Air quality is among those priority concerns.
The Beijing and Chinese authorities have
relocated and refitted major polluting industries
and there has been a switch away from coal-fired
energy generation towards less polluting
fuels like natural gas.
Older buses, taxis and cars have been scrapped
in favour of ones powered by compressed
natural gas or new vehicles and fuels that
meet tougher, internationally recognized
emissions standards such as the Euro III
standard.
Between 2000 and 2006, concentrations of
several key air pollutants including sulphur
dioxide and carbon monoxide have as a result
fallen.
But with more than 1,000 new cars being
registered daily and with coal remaining
a key energy fuel, some key pollutants remain
stubbornly high.
For example, levels of small particles
in the atmosphere, or PM10, which are hazardous
to health, often greatly exceed World Health
Organization Air Quality Guidelines.
"The city's geographical location
exacerbates the problem. The mountain ranges
that surround Beijing block air circulation
and prevent the dispersion of pollutants.
Compounding the problem is the high number
of dust storms. In the spring of 2006 the
city endured 18 dust storms," says
the UNEP assessment report.
Greenhouse Gas Offsets
Other concerns include a missed opportunity
in terms of offsetting greenhouse gases.
The Torino Winter Olympics of 2006 offset
additional carbon dioxide through funding
environmentally friendly energy projects
in developing countries.
The Green Goal initiative of the 2006 FIFA
World Cup adopted similar measures to cover
greenhouse gases that could not be easily
reduced at home.
Eric Falt, UNEP Director of Communications
and responsible for the organization's sports
and environment programme, said carbon offsetting
is "increasingly a feature of high-profile
events and is an initiative being adopted
by a growing number of sports organizations
and private sector entities. It is not too
late for BOCOG to openly declare a commitment
on climate change and offsetting".
Public Transport
Another concern centres on the under-utilization
of the city's expanding public transport
network. Beijing has recently installed
16 km of Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) lines
giving the system a total passenger capacity
of 100,000 people per day. Two more BRT
lines are under construction.
Beijing is also expanding surface and underground
rail lines with four completed and four
more, including the Olympic Line, currently
under construction. The Chinese government
says the eight lines will have a capacity
of nearly four million people daily.
Overall Beijing's public ground transportation
capacity is 19 million passengers per day,
yet it is under utilized to the tune of
around 8.5 million daily passengers.
The UNEP report urges the local authorities
to adopt measures and incentives to bridge
the gap in order to improve air quality
and other environmental measures.
Mr Steiner said the report was a balanced
assessment recognizing the achievements
but also highlighting how more could be
done to, for example, harness the city's
new and existing public transport infrastructure.
The study also flags up concerns over voluntary
environmental arrangements between contractors,
hotels, caterers and providers of transport
and the organizing committee.
"Vigilance will need to be the watchword
to ensure last minute corners are not cut
in the area of environment in order to meet
deadlines. Meanwhile, the question of offsetting
greenhouse gas emissions within China also
remains an open question," said Mr
Steiner.
"However, Beijing has already achieved
a great deal, an achievement even more resounding
when one reflects on the enormous challenges
facing one of the world's most rapidly growing
developing economies and its principal cities,
" he said.
When Beijing won the bid to host the 2008
Olympic and Paralympic Games, a decision
was taken to accelerate and add to the existing
Beijing Sustainable Development Plan scheduled
to be completed in 2015.
Twenty key 'greening' projects are at the
centre of the plan alongside the "Olympic
Green" project incorporating 20 venues,
the Olympic Village and the 1000 hectare
Forest Park.
The UNEP report covers these initiatives
and reflects on the wider impacts of the
Games on Beijing and beyond including organizers
of future high profile international events.
UNEP notes that there has also been a great
deal of liaison with relevant non governmental
organizations including Greenpeace; WWF;
Conservation International and IUCN-the
World Conservation Union. It says the constructive
approach between these groups, UNEP and
the organizing committee has been another
key feature of the Beijing Games.
Some Highlights from the Report on "Greening
the Games"
Energy
. Solar power is being used to light lawns,
courtyards and streets at several venues
including the Olympic Village. In the Feng
Tai baseball stadium, for example, a 27
KW photovoltaic system supplies energy to
the building.
. The National Stadium, where events such
as athletics and football will be held,
is being lit by a 130 KW photovoltaic system.
. Solar heating, geothermal and heat pump
technology is being extensively deployed,
for example at the Olympic Green Tennis
Center.
. At the 400,000 square metre Olympic Village,
reclaimed water from the Qinghe sewage treatment
plant is being utilized for heating and
cooling systems-around 60 per cent in electrical
savings is anticipated.
. Other energy savings technologies include
the deployment of translucent membranes
in the ceilings and walls of the National
Aquatics Centre or 'Water Cube' to allow
in natural light. Specially designed 'beam-pipes'
funnel sunlight into corridors, toilets
and car parks at venues including the Olympic
Green.
The report says: "UNEP believes the
variety of clean energy and energy saving
solutions being employed by venue designers
in Beijing provides a positive showcase
and an inspiration for future Games organizers".
Transport
. The organizers have a strategy offering
free rides on public transport to spectators
holding Olympic event tickets- the free
public transport service will be offered
before the games commence and until the
closure of the Paralympic Village, amounting
to a total of just over 50 days.
. A total of 3,060 petrol-powered cars,
minivans and small buses will be deployed
which the organizers say will meet modern
emission control standards.
. Of the fleet of almost 2,300 coaches and
buses being deployed during the Games, the
organizers say 400 will be natural gas-powered
with the rest diesel. All will have less
than 10,000 km on the clock or will be newly
registered.
The report says: "UNEP applauds the
introduction of 400 natural gas-powered
buses to the Olympic fleet but feels there
is considerable room for improvement in
the petrol-powered small vehicle fleet,
given the wide availability of cleaner fuel
vehicle options".
Water and Waste
. Substantial investments have been made
in water and sewage treatment, rainwater
harvesting and intelligent irrigation systems.
. For example permeable blocks make up much
of the paving at the Fengtai Softball venue.
These allow rainwater to seep through to
water collection systems underground.
. In the Olympic Media Village, at least
3,000 cubic metres of rainwater can be captured
using water permeable bricks, pipes and
wells installed on roofs, roads and green
areas.
. The organizers have set a target of achieving
a 50 per cent recycling of waste including
paper, metals and plastics at venues. A
test run, carried out during the 11th World
Softball Championships held last year, achieved
a nearly 90 per cent recycling.
The report says: "One of UNEP's concerns
however is that the current emphasis is
on waste processing rather than waste minimization.
Programmes have been developed, such as
the 'Cup of the Cup' of the 2006 FIFA World
Cup, to minimize waste by promoting re-usable
cups".
Environmentally Friendly Materials and Ozone-Depleting
Chemicals
. The organizers have made extensive use
of a wooden and recycled plastic composite
for decorating facades, lining floors and
making window shutters and picnic tables
in order to reduce demand for timber.
. The organizers have made what UNEP has
described as an "extraordinary achievement"
of avoiding chemicals that damage the ozone
layer at Games facilities and venues and
in equipment such as air conditioning and
refrigeration units and fire fighting equipment.
. Carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform
- two further ozone-damaging substances
- have been prohibited for uses such as
laundry and electronic circuit board cleaning.
. Suppliers such as Coca Cola and McDonald's
have committed to an ozone-friendly Games.
For example Coca Cola will supply 4,000
bottle coolers that use natural refrigerants.
Landscaping and Forestry
. The organizers have made landscaping a
priority at venues, specifically the Olympic
Green where green landscaped areas, including
the planting of drought-resistant and indigenous
species, cover just over 900 hectares out
of a total of around 1,160 hectares.
. A more than 580 hectare Olympic Forest
Park has been established in the city landscaped
with hills and water features. It will be
protected, serving as a 'green lung' for
the surrounding boroughs and the Olympic
Village which will become a residential
area after the Games.
Marketing, Education and Communication
. The organizers have been spreading the
'Green Olympics' concept through a variety
of measures in cooperation with the government
ministries, the city council, environmental
groups, schools, the private sector and
local communities.
. Over 550 schools including 200 in Beijing
have so far been nominated as Olympic Model
Schools where Olympic values including the
environment are being promoted.
. Primary schools in Beijing are taking
part in 'Reserve a Barrel of Water this
Summer' to promote water saving.
. BOCOG has other awareness initiatives
including the Green Community and Green
Home campaign to promote environmental understanding
in households and communities.
. Another is the travelling "Close
to Nature Hand in Hand with Fuwa Exhibition'
that is promoting awareness about the living
environment and the habitats of the four
animal-like Olympic mascots or Fuwa-the
fish, the Tibetan antelope, the flying swallow
and the panda.
The report says that UNEP believes that
a great deal more environmental awareness
could be generated in the country and for
visitors attending the Games, including
incorporating the messages of the mascots
on the Green Olympics website.
Notes to Editors
The UNEP report follows a memorandum of
understanding between the organization and
BOCOG in 2005 in which UNEP offered assistance
to achieve an environmentally friendly games.
In 2007 Jacques Rogge, President of the
International Olympic Committee (IOC), agreed
that UNEP should conduct a wide-ranging
evaluation of the Beijing Olympics' status
in achieving this.
The report, whose findings have been shared
with the IOC and the BOCOG, is based on
a review of studies and technical assessments
by the organizing committee and the Chinese
authorities. It is also based on field visits
to China by UNEP in 2007 and, as previously
noted, liaison with relevant NGOs.
Eric Falt, Director of the UNEP Division
of Communications and Public Information
Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson
Anne-France White, Associate Information
Officer
Wenjuan Zhang, UNEP China Office
