BEIJING 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES, AN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

BEIJING 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES,

AN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

Source: (UNEP. Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, An Environmental Review, 2007)

In response China’s rapid economic development, the Government of China has instituted a growing number of environmental initiatives and legislation designed to promote environmental sustainability as part of the country’s ambitious growth strategy. With world attention increasingly on China, the staging of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing has given China an opportunity to showcase its commitment and ability to grow in an environmentally sustainable manner.

The ‘Green Olympics’ initiative

Fulfilling the spirit of Beijing Olympic Games Organizing Committee (BOCOG) to deliver a ‘Green Olympics’ during the candidature phase in 2000, Beijing had set ambitious environmental goals to show the world its commitment to sustainable development. The project areas range from addressing air and water quality and waste management to including environmental considerations in new infrastructure development.

In accordance with its bid commitments, BOCOG had taken steps to build sustainable venues, paying particular attention to energy efficiency, use of eco-friendly materials, water conservation, and environmental management and control of building sites. An interesting innovation is the widespread use in the venues of ground, water or air source heat pump systems to provide buildings with heat in winter and air conditioning in summertime. The excellent results achieved by BOCOG and the city of Beijing in phasing out ozone depleting substances (ODS) well ahead of the deadline set at national level had noteworthy. At the end of 2004, ODS, apart from HCFC and HFC (which are still used in the car air conditioning sector), were completely phased out in the city of Beijing, six years ahead of China’s Country Programme deadline, and air conditioning and fire extinguishing systems in the Olympic venues are all ODS-free.

Air quality

Beijing had implemented a number of initiatives program to improve its air quality and reduce its air pollution; for example the relocation and refitting of major heavy polluting industries, to the conversion of coal burning boilers to cleaner fuels and the implementation of vehicle emission standards. Most of these initiatives have benefit the citizens of Beijing long after the Games had closed. However, the extensive use of coal and the growing number of motor vehicles, has contributed to the slow pace of improving air quality. The city’s geographical location exacerbates the problem where the mountain ranges that surround Beijing block air circulation and prevent the dispersion of pollutants and natural cleansing of the air. Particularly worrying are the levels of small particulate matter (PM10) in the atmosphere, which is severely deleterious to public health. Air problem is the high number of dust storms that plague the city, especially during the spring. For example, in the spring of 2006, the city endured 18 dust storms.It is commonly accepted that improving city air quality cannot be achieved in a short period, or even over a period of a few years. However, the Beijing’s initiatives to limit traffic volumes on specific days, it has to be recognized that only long-term planning and the enforcement of measures over time will show significant results.

Transport

The city of Beijing has achieved results both in the area of new transport infrastructure and in renovating the public transportation fleet. New lines on the underground rail network, public transportation hubs have been put into operation to serve ground lines and new roads and bridges constructed to relieve the heavy Beijing traffic. The Municipal Government had also implemented local standards for vehicle emissions equal to Euro I, Euro II and Euro III, to match internationally recognized vehicle emission limits.

Energy and Industry

Beijing’s energy infrastructure have undergoing massive restructuring, with a gradual transition from heavy dependence on coal to cleaner energy sources such as natural gas, as well as geothermal energy and, to a lesser extent, wind energy, improve energy efficiency and air quality. Nonetheless, the city remains heavily reliant on coal, with its associated environmental consequences, ranging from local air pollution to the long-range transport of toxic elements such as mercury. Continuous developments include the adoption of advanced environmental technologies, and the implementation of new pollution standards and an industrial pollution control system. The relocation of Capital Steel and Iron Group to a new more efficient plant outside of Beijing is an example of Beijing’s efforts to reduce industrial pollution within the city’s boundaries.

Water

City administrators have also made significant efforts to save and recycle water resources, which is increasingly important as the city has been affected by years of enduring drought. A variety of water saving schemes and rainwater collection and re-use systems have been designed and implemented in the Olympic Village and several competition venues. Beijing has also made efforts to improve the quality and availability of drinking water, placing the protection of drinking water reservoirs and improving water quality high on the agenda. At the source, water is in compliance with the quality standards set by the World Health Organization but, because of the antiquated distribution network, by the time the water arrives at the consumer’s tap it is not the same quality as when it left the treatment plant. Nonetheless, there remains considerable room for improvement in the drinking water distribution network and in water quality at the user-end.

Waste

Beijing has made considerable progress in the field of solid waste management. Using the general ‘3-R’ circular economy principles of ‘reduce, reuse, and recycle’, Beijing has implemented a systemic approach to managing urban, industrial and hazardous waste, involving improving waste processing in the city, with new processing and disposal facilities for urban and hazardous waste (industrial and medical) being built around the city. Beijing is also working to improve education and awareness among its citizens about the importance of separating waste for recycling and reuse. One of UNEP’s concerns related to the Olympic Games, however, is that there is more emphasis on waste processing than on minimizing waste. Since winning the bid to host the Olympic Games, green coverage in Beijing, defined as the area covered by lawns and the shadow of trees and bushes, has expanded to more than 50 per cent of the city’s area. Beijing has created three different green ecological zones in the mountain, plains and urban areas to create a green shelter for the city. At the end of 2006, the three ecological zones were nearly completed, including a total of 20 natural reserves to protect forests, wild plants and animals, wetlands, and geological formations.

Conclusion

UNEP concluded that Beijing has already achieved many of its bid commitments, for example on waste water treatment, water source protection and waste management, and appears to be well on the way to fulfilling all of them. Beijing’s old or nonexistent infrastructure, rapid development and geographical constraints mean the city still has considerable challenges to overcome, especially in the areas of air and water quality. Nonetheless, there is no doubt that the environmental projects developed in Beijing prompted or accelerated by the award of the Olympics represent a long-term positive legacy for the city, both in terms of new infrastructure and implementing new environmental technologies. At the moment, some of these initiatives, such as vehicle emission standards, remain exclusive to Beijing. If the new environmental standards and measures taken in Beijing for the Olympics are adopted countrywide, and help to influence China’s development, the award of the 2008 Olympic Games can be counted, from the environmental point of view, as a success.