Beijing remains committed to making Winter Olympic Games greener

By Ji Fang, People’s Daily

A WeChat mini-program for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games was officially launched on July 2 to encourage the public to have a low-carbon lifestyle and contribute to a greener sport event.

It will open an individual carbon account for each user and convert their low-carbon behaviors such as walking, bike riding, as well as bus and subway taking, into “carbon points” in their accounts.

The mini-program uses digital technology to record a dozen of low-carbon activities in users’ daily life and then converts them into carbon points which can be exchanged for corresponding awards.

Low-carbon activities are converted into different amounts of carbon points based on how much emission they reduce. For example, a user can get 0.02 carbon points per step, up to 200 points per day, 174 points for participating in the “clear your plate” campaign each time, and 209 points for taking a bus.

Quantifying low-carbon activities with carbon points enables the public to better understand carbon emission reduction and gradually develop a green and low-carbon lifestyle, said Liu Xinping, an official from the General Planning Department of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

To actively respond to the global climate change, reduce carbon emission and implement carbon neutrality has turned from an “icing on the cake” into non-negotiable requirements that must be met in major sports events.

Carbon neutrality refers to taking corresponding measures to offset the carbon emissions from human activities. As a new type of environmental protection, carbon neutrality has been popular among more and more international conferences and competitions.

In the past, major international sports events usually achieved carbon neutrality through forestry management, energy conservation and emission reduction, and renewable energy projects.

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games made an even bolder move by launching a nationwide low-carbon campaign and developing a mini-program for the public to help reduce carbon emission.

As the first Olympic Games to fully implement the Olympic Agenda 2020, the Beijing 2022 has always remained committed to being green, low-carbon and sustainable, from its bidding to preparation.

The Carbon Management Plan for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 was released on June 23 last year, the Olympic Day, providing an institutional underpinning for hosting the Winter Games in a green manner, actively encouraging low-carbon ways of life in the society, and promoting the Carbon Generalized System of Preferences for the Olympic Games.

With the implementation of the plan, the Beijing 2022 has continuously made breakthroughs in low-carbon energy, venues, and transportation.

All venues are constructed in strict accordance with the national green building standards, and the evaluation standards for green snow sports venues are the first of the kind in China and even in the world.

For the first time in the Games’ history, carbon dioxide will be used as refrigerants at four venues, including the National Speed Skating Oval, which will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions during the games.

Electricity generated by clean energy in Zhangbei county, North China’s Hebei Province, has been connected into Beijing’s power grid, which will enable wind and solar power from Zhangbei to light up the venues.

The Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Sustainability Plan released in May has one vision – sustainability for the future, featuring three key themes of positive environmental impact, new development for the region and better life for the people.

“We have been innovating in technology, mechanism and concept to follow a sustainable approach,” Liu said, believing that this will not only leave a green legacy of the Beijing 2022, but also help gain rich experience for the sustainable development of the Olympic Games.