Reps hail China's sustainability work at Beijing 2022

BEIJING -- Representatives of the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee (BOCOG), members of the Beijing 2022 Sustainability Advisory Commission and architects of the competition zones of the Beijing Winter Olympics on Saturday hailed the successful practices in sustainability by the Games.

Participants shared their thoughts and experiences on three dimensions of sustainable management, eco-environmental protection and carbon neutrality of the Winter Olympics at a forum, which was held in Beijing via video link.

The 2022 Winter Olympics are the first Games in history to exclusively power all venues with clean energy from renewable sources and use carbon dioxide in ice-making procedures.

Liu Xinping, director of the Sustainable Development Division of the Beijing 2022 General Planning Department, introduced the sustainability plan, implementation and impact of the Games.

Following the strict Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle management process, BOCOG got substantial achievements and left a valuable legacy for the nation, which has become relevant to various aspects of social development and will influence future generations, said Liu.

"The Beijing 2022 is the first Olympic Games that fully implement the sustainability requirements of the Olympic Agenda 2020 from preparation to delivery, which helps meet the United Nation's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals," she added.

On June 5, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) released an article on World Environment Day praising the efforts and attempts of the Beijing 2022 in the areas of low-carbon, environmental protection and sustainable development.

Tu Ruihe, head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) China Office, commented that the Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games have been successfully concluded with the principle of hosting a "green, inclusive, open and clean" Games, and that its successful experiences of environmental protection during the Games will play a demonstrative role for other countries and regions.