China’s Preparations (II): A Green, Sustainable Winter Olympics

Editor’s Note: On February 4, the Olympic flame will be lit in Beijing, marking the official start of the 2022 Winter Olympics. With less than a month to go, this grand sporting event is about to begin, and the organizers have made thorough preparations to deliver a series of simple, safe, and spectacular competitions. All venues and facilities are now in place, clean air and green energy are already being utilized, and a closed-loop system has been put in place to help prevent the spread of COVID‑19.

In this photo taken on January 12, 2022, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics mascots, Bing Dwen Dwen and Shuey Rhon Rhon, are pictured in Beijing. [Photo/ IC]

The Beijing government is embracing the Winter Olympics with a green, low-carbon, and sustainable approach, creating a favorable opportunity to improve the urban environment and drive transformation and upgrading toward green development.

Beijing has made groundbreaking progress in tackling air pollution, with the city’s air quality now meeting national standards.

In 2021, the city’s average PM2.5 concentration was 33 micrograms per cubic meter, the lowest level since records began in 2013.

Skaters practice by the lake at Beijing’s Olympic Forest Park. Wei Xiaohao/China Daily

Beijing will repurpose the venues built for the 2008 Olympic Games for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Specifically, the National Aquatics Center, also known as the “Water Cube,” will host curling events, while the National Indoor Stadium will stage ice hockey matches. The opening and closing ceremonies will once again be held at the Beijing National Stadium, or the “Bird’s Nest.”

The National Ski Jumping Center in Zhangjiakou, locally known as “Snow Ruyi,” will host ski jumping and Nordic combined events during the Beijing Winter Olympics. Yang Shiyao/Xinhua

The 2022 Winter Olympics will be the first in history to power all venues entirely with renewable, clean energy. Solar and wind power will be generated in the Zhangbei region of Hebei Province.

All venues are accessible by public transportation.

Athletes compete in the curling qualifying event for the Winter Olympics. Wei Xiaohao/China Daily

Beijing will, for the first time in Olympic history, use carbon dioxide in its ice-making process. By phasing out ozone-depleting freon as an ice‑making refrigerant during the Games, the city expects to cut carbon emissions by an amount equivalent to that of 3,900 cars annually and reduce the event’s overall emissions to nearly zero.

The new ice-making technology will also significantly reduce electricity consumption.

Beijing’s first hydrogen refueling station opened on August 15 in Changping District. Staff filled the first tank of hydrogen fuel for a service vehicle preparing for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Spectators at the 2022 Winter Olympics will be encouraged to travel by public transport between the three competition zones—Beijing’s city center, the suburban district of Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou in Hebei Province—which are connected by an electric high-speed railway that began operations at the end of 2019.

All passenger vehicles used for the Olympic Games’ official transportation services will run on renewable energy. Charging stations for new-energy vehicles have been built at the venues and along the roads connecting Beijing and Zhangjiakou.

A photo taken on July 16, 2021, shows the Olympic Village for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. [Photo/Xinhua]

According to Beijing Investment Group Co., Ltd., the developer of the Beijing Olympic Village, all permanent structures within the complex have achieved the highest three-star certification for green buildings, with material recycling and energy efficiency and environmental protection integrated throughout the entire development process.

(From ChinaDaily)