The "Green Olympics"

The government has adopted a host of measures aimed at mitigating any environmental problems during the games, and preserving the environment for the future. Not only have these measures been highly effective, they have also earned special praise from the United Nations Environment Programme ("UNEP"), whose 2007 report entitled "Beijing 2008 Olympic Games - An Environmental View" concluded that "the award of the Games has provided a formidable impetus to cleaning up Beijing and improving its environment."

The UNEP report details the significant improvements that have been made in air quality, transport, energy, solid waste and green coverage in Beijing in preparation for the games. Regarding air quality, the report notes that the concentration of most air pollutants has decreased steadily since government measures to reduce pollution were initiated in 1998, although concerns remain about particulate matter in the air. The report praises Beijing for its "significant achievements" in relocating and refitting major polluting industries, converting coal-burning boilers, adopting cleaner fuels, and implementing vehicle emission standards. The authors also remark that these measures will continue to benefit Beijing residents well after the games are over.

Transport is still seen as somewhat of a concern by the report's authors. They note that the rapid growth in private car ownership means that nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide emissions remain a problem. However, efforts have been made to increase public transport capacity and improve the emissions standards of vehicles on the road. Beijing's urban railway network has been greatly expanded, with four new lines now in operation, bringing total daily capacity to 3.9 million passengers. Old buses and taxis have been replaced with new, cleaner models - in particular, Beijing now has 3,795 Compressed Natural Gas ("CNG") buses in operation, one of the largest fleets in the world. Finally, the report explains that, due to the introduction of unleaded petrol in 1997 and subsequent improvements in emissions standards and testing, the overall concentration of carbon monoxide has not increased in Beijing despite the rapid rise in automobile ownership and use.

Beijing has also done much to move towards cleaner energy sources to provide power to its expanding population during the Olympics and beyond. Although coal remains the city's primary source of power, the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau has been working to reduce the air pollution generated by coal boilers. By the end of 2007, all of Beijing's 16,300 small-scale coal boilers were converted to clean energy sources such as natural gas, LPG, solar or geothermal. For large-scale boilers (those with a capacity of more than 14 MW) steps have been taken to reduce pollution, including the use of new dust-removal technologies. In addition to these measures, a host of new rules and regulations have been enacted governing industrial emissions and energy consumption, which have done much to make the city's industrial sector more clean and efficient.

"Green" spirit in Shanghai

Although the UNEP report concentrates on Beijing, similar measures have been enforced in cities across China in order to clean up the country's urban centres for the Olympic Games and beyond. For example, as Chen Wenpei, Vice Chairman of Shanghai Computer Users Association and former Officer of Shanghai Trade Point explains, Shanghai has also introduced a number of measures to help greenify the city and educate residents about environmental protection. He believes that Olympics have had a profound effect on the city's efforts to go green:

"Everywhere in the city is imbued with this 'green' spirit. During preparations for the Olympics, the main focus was on employing technology to greenify the city, planting trees and so on. This has helped to foster the concept of a green urban space in Shanghai. Shanghai has also initiated a new process for managing domestic waste. Colour-coded trash cans (red, green, blue and black) have been installed in residential areas, to encourage inhabitants to separate their refuse. Finally, there has been a large emphasis on educating school students about environmental awareness and environmental protection. The number of classes on environmental issues will be increased, to deepen students' understanding of the importance of environmental protection."

Eco-friendly Olympic venues

Another important factor has been the Olympic venues themselves, many of which have been designed to be environmentally sustainable. Not only will these venues help to make Beijing 2008 a "Green Olympics", they also serve an important educational purpose, keeping environmental issues in the public eye and giving a practical demonstration of how sustainable design can improve buildings and their surroundings. Li Hao, Green Beijing Green Olympics Promotional Group Director and former Director of the National Research Centre for Environmental Science, has been particularly impressed with the achievements made in the design and construction of the Olympic venues:

"Regarding the environment, the Mainland China made five commitments for its Olympic construction projects: to use an advanced energy conservation plan, to use water resources efficiently, to use clean energy sources, to use environmentally friendly construction materials, and to improve waste management and recycling practices. When I visited the new National Indoor Stadium, I saw how these commitments have been realised. The roof canopy allows natural light to penetrate, and there are solar panels on top of the roof which are used to power the lights in the underground car park. There is also a drainage system to collect rain water, which is stored in a reservoir beneath the stadium capable of holding 1,000 tonnes of water. To lower the height of the stadium, and reduce its adverse effects on the environment, it has been designed so that half the building is underground. To improve structural stability, 80,000 tonnes of recycled steel have been used in the foundations.

"Seeing the Olympic venues with my own eyes, I am very pleased with the effort that the Beijing Olympic Committee has made to live up to the promise of constructing a 'Green Olympics'. I feel that they embody the tremendous ideological and technological progress China has made in environmental protection in the past seven years. The environmental design concepts used in these venues will serve as an ideal model for new construction projects in China for years to come. I believe that this will be the most profound effect that the Olympics will have on the green movement in China."

Beyond the Olympics

Although the Olympic Games have certainly acted as a catalyst, fueling China's drive towards sustainability, there are many examples of environmental projects that have little or no relation to the games. One example is Dongtan, which is being promoted as the 'world's first eco-city'. Dongtan is a project currently in development on one of China's largest islands, in the mouth of the Yangtze river near Shanghai. The project was commissioned by the Shanghai Industrial Investment (Holdings) Company Limited ("SIIC") and has been designed by international design and consulting firm Ove Arup & Partners Limited (who have also worked on numerous green projects in Beijing, including the new National Stadium and National Aquatics Center).

The city has been designed from scratch to be as sustainable as possible. It will be powered entirely by renewable energy, and all public transport will use clean fuel technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells. Private motorised transport will not be allowed; instead, a network of footpaths and cycle tracks will augment the public transport system. The population has been limited to 50 people per acre, the ideal level to minimise per capita energy use (Hong Kong, in comparison, has a population density of 300 people per acre). The planners have also left 65% of the available land undeveloped, preserving the area's scenic beauty. The project is still in development, with the first phase of inhabitants due to arrive in 2010, but Dongtan has already received a lot of favourable attention from governments and city planners around the world. There are already plans to build three more eco-cities in China alone.

Rise of environmental NGOs

The hallway of the National Indoor Stadium takes full advantage of natural light (photo by Li Hao)

Another factor that has been incredibly important is the rise of NGOs in China. China's first environmental NGO was established on 31 March 1994. Originally known as the Academy for Green Culture, it has since been renamed to Friends of Nature. Another NGO, Global Village of Beijing, was established in 1996. These organisations have done a lot of work to promote awareness and solve environmental issues in China, and were even invited to join the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Bid Committee back when China first began its Olympic bid. Although these are still early days for environmental NGOs in China, their presence is a welcome trend that bodes well for the future.

Finally, it is important to note the role that technology and e-commerce can play in improving China's environment. Shi Li, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tianjin Electronics Port Ltd., explains how e-commerce can help Chinese industry reduce its impact on the environment:

"e-Commerce has an important role to play in creating a green manufacturing supply chain. For example, using e-commerce technology and services can make it easier and more cost effective to buy environmentally friendly materials, reducing production costs. e-commerce and modern logistics practices will help speed up the transition from paper trading to electronic trading, drastically reducing the amount of paper that is wasted. At the same time, this will reduce the effect that sending hard copies of business communications has on the environment. I believe that Tradelink and the Digital Trade and Transportation Network ("DTTN") have already achieved great results in this regard."

A sustainable future

As the world's most populous nation, and the world's fastest-rising economy, it goes without saying that the health of China's environment is a concern not just for the Chinese people, but for everyone. Although many have been quick to criticize China's environmental policies, the evidence shows that in fact the Chinese government has gone to great lengths to make sure that the country develops in a sustainable way. China's green revolution is well underway - long may it continue!