Sustainability the name of the game

Specific to Beijing 2022, the Carbon Management Plan detailed the guiding principles, main objectives and other overarching requirements for making the Games entirely carbon neutral. The plan included 26 measures in all: 18 for carbon reduction, four for carbon offset, and four supporting measures.

Centred on aspects such as renewable energy, low-carbon venues, technologies and transport, these measures had resulted in a reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions of 314,611.3 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by June 2022.

Carbon sequestration was a key contributor. Games emissions were compensated for by afforestation projects in Beijing and Zhangjiakou, where 47,333 and 33,000 hectares of forest and green areas were planted respectively. Following independent verification, approximately 530,000 and 570,000 tonnes of forestry carbon sequestration credits were given to Beijing 2022 to compensate its residual carbon emissions.

The first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, Beijing reused five competition venues from Beijing 2008: the National Aquatics Centre, National Indoor Stadium, Wukesong Sports Centre, Capital Indoor Stadium and the Beijing National Stadium, where the Opening and Closing Ceremonies were held. These venues were retrofitted to reduce their footprint and carbon-reduction solutions implemented.

Meanwhile, all new venues were built in line with sustainable construction standards that covered, for example, water and energy efficiency, building insulation, and natural CO2 refrigeration systems, which were employed at four Beijing 2022 ice venues and helped cut heat waste and energy consumption.

Centred on sustainable management and procurement and green venues and covering every aspect of planning and staging the Games and their legacy, Beijing 2022 developed its own sustainability working standards and improved them continuously. The process led to the creation of the Guidance for Event Sustainability Evaluation standard, with national and regional standards also being put in place.

These included Green Building Evaluation Standards for both Beijing and Hebei province, which covered the sustainable design and construction of the new ice sports venues and the Olympic Villages, while new snow venues conformed to the Evaluation Standard for Green Snow Sports Venues. Each new venue received a 3-star rating under these standards, with existing venues being certified as 2-star sustainable buildings.

All Beijing 2022 venues were powered with renewable energy, with solar and wind providing the primary energy sources. A cross-regional green-power trading platform was created with the Games in mind and remains in place, allowing for the extensive use of renewable electricity into the future.

Clean energy also extended to the fleet of official Games vehicles. All its passenger cars were fuel efficient and powered by clean energy, as was 85 per cent of all vehicles. Vehicles were electric and natural-gas-powered in the main in the Beijing Zone and hydrogen-fuelled in the Yanqing and Zhangjiakou zones.

Conservation was also a priority during the construction phase. Environmental impact assessments were conducted and a range of conservation measures introduced to protect local flora and fauna both at Games-time and in the future. Environmentally degraded areas were also restored.

Water savings of 20 per cent were made at Beijing 2022, thanks to a series of water-conservation and recycling measures. These included the creation of lakes to store rainwater and water from melted snow, which was then used for snowmaking at the ski and snowboard venues in Zhangjiakou. Snow-making equipment was entirely powered by 100 per cent renewable energy and no chemicals were used in the snow-making process, to prevent any impact on local ecosystems.

Where possible, the Beijing Organising Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) adhered to a policy of renting equipment instead of buying it. This applied to all sorts of equipment, from desktop computers and printers to vehicles and office furniture. The use of non-degradable plastic was also minimised. For example, no plastic items were sold or given away to the spectators at competitions, non-degradable plastic bags were banned at retail outlets, and only reusable and biodegradable plates and cups used in canteens and restaurants. Sustainable practices were also employed in waste collection.