China fulfills promise of green Games

As one of the greatest threats to our existence and to the future of our planet, climate change doesn't just affect one place, but the whole world.

Thus, at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, which just ended, China has again demonstrated its capability and determination to tackle the global challenge of climate change through putting in place innovative and green technologies to protect the environment.

Once its winning bid to organize the 2022 Olympics was confirmed in 2015, Beijing embarked on organizing a green, inclusive, open and clean Winter Games.

To achieve this great milestone, China engaged about 300 million Chinese in the planning process, activating the spirit of the Olympic motto of "Faster, Higher, Stronger－Together". Knowing that preparations for the event, such as the construction of venues, roads and other facilities, could lead to an increase in energy use and carbon emissions, the Beijing 2022 organizing committee was determined to implement carbon reduction measures such as low-carbon venues, energy use and transportation.

First, regarding low-carbon venues and infrastructure, a total of 550 kilometers of streets along Beijing's rivers and lakes were reconfigured for use by cyclists and pedestrians. Also, a waterfront pathway running 28.5 kilometers from the capital's downtown to its Tongzhou district was opened to the public in 2021.

The venues themselves have applied high-standard green design and construction techniques, with a strong emphasis on energy efficiency and environmental conservation to better protect the environment and leave a green Olympics legacy. For instance, to make ice, the National Speed Skating Oval used low-emission, carbon dioxide refrigeration systems. In addition, during the opening ceremony, the Olympic cauldron, which was lit inside a stunning snowflake, was much smaller than those of previous Games and was powered by hydrogen, in adhering to the principle of carbon neutrality.

In compensating for the carbon emissions from the Games, large afforestation projects were initiated in Beijing and co-host city Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, and 600,000metric tons of certified emission reductions sponsored by official domestic partners of the Beijing Games ensured that the principles of a carbon-neutral Games were adhered to.

The "Low-Carbon Management Pre-Games Report of the Beijing 2022 Games", published by the Beijing organizing committee, summarizes the progress of the committee's carbon management initiatives. Looking back to 2018, the total greenhouse gas baseline emissions covering the planning process for the Beijing Winter Games were calculated at 1.637 million tons of CO2 equivalent. With COVID-19 still a global menace, a decision to not sell tickets to spectators outside China's mainland was made, among other measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Second, regarding low-carbon energy use, for the first time in Olympics history, 100 percent of the conventional electricity demand of all venues was supplied by renewable energy. The venues relied on the newly built Zhangbei renewable energy flexible direct current power grid in Zhangjiakou and the cross-regional green power trading mechanism.

Third, a low-carbon transportation system was used. The transportation system within the overall Beijing Games zone mainly relied on electric and natural-gas-powered vehicles. In the Yanqing district zone and the Zhangjiakou zone, hydrogen-fueled vehicles were deployed. According to the organizers, a total of about 1,807 hybrid vehicles, over 800 hydrogen-fueled vehicles, nearly 500 natural gas-fueled vehicles and 370 pure electric vehicles were used.

China has showed the world its commitment to giving top priority to ecological conservation. Indeed, the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics provided sustainable initiatives to ensure ecological protection and carbon-neutral Games.

The author is executive director of the China-Africa Center at the Africa Policy Institute in Kenya.