Green Games, sustainability embedded in preparations of Beijing 2022: BOCOG official

Special: 2022 Winter Olympics

(ECNS) -- The concept of a green Games and sustainability has been embedded in the entire process and every aspect of the preparations of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, an official of Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (BOCOG) said at a press briefing on Wednesday.

"We can summarize this practice and outcome with two keywords, that is low carbon management and ecological conservation," said Li Sen, director-general of the general planning department of the BOCOG.

Over the past six years, Beijing has taken various measures to reduce carbon emissions such as using low carbon venues, renewable energy, low carbon transport and a low carbon office, said Li, adding that the city has also adopted carbon compensation methods like forestry carbon sinks and donations of carbon credits from official partners to stage a carbon-neutral Games.

"Some of you may have visited the National Aquatics Centre. It is not far from the Beijing 2022 Main Media Centre (MMC) and used to host aquatic events at Beijing 2008. And now it has become the venue for curling and wheelchair curling during the Beijing 2022 Games," Li said to explain that how the low carbon concept has been implemented during the international event.

He pointed out that six Beijing 2008 Games competition and non-competition venues are now serving the Beijing 2022 Games, including the MMC fully powered by electricity generated from renewable energy sources or green electricity from Zhangjiakou in Hebei Province, setting an example of low carbon venues.

In addition, he has also illustrated the ecological conservation practiced during the winter event. It mainly refers to resource-saving and environmentally friendly practices while implementing integrated plans for ecological conservation to protect the mountains and rivers, according to the official.