Beijing Games Organisers pledge to deliver sustainable Winter Olympics

January 7, 2022

Nigel Benton

Environment / Events / Sport / Venues /

With the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics less than a month away and preparation for the Games having entered their final stage, the Beijing Olympic Organising Committee has emphasised the event’s green credentials.

Chinese authorities have pledged to power the Games using only wind, hydro and solar energy, despite the wider economy relying on coal for nearly two-thirds of its power.

The city of Zhangjiakou, one of the three Olympic hubs, has installed wind farms spanning hundreds of acres that can produce 14 million kilowatts of electricity and also covered mountain-sides with solar panels that they say will generate another seven million kilowatts.

While not independently verifiable, the Organising Committee told new agency AFP that China built a "dedicated power plant that takes on power generated from renewable sources, stores it and transmits it to all venues."

Another initiative will see 655 hydrogen-powered buses be used to transport athletes and officials during the Winter Games, as advised by the Xinhua news agency. Organisers said 85% of vehicles used for the Games will run on either electricity or hydrogen.

With that only domestic spectators allowed to attend due to the pandemic - and even those numbers look likely to be very limited - flight emissions are likely to be lower than the average Olympics.

However, snow making in the mountains of Zhangjiakou and Yanqing, north of Beijing, where skiing and snowboarding events will be held will completely rely on man-made snow.

According to a 2019 blueprint by the country's national economic planner, around 220 million litres of water will be needed for this process.

Water will come from reservoirs in Zhanjiakou, and will "account for less than one percent of the water supply of the city," a member of the organising committee told the state-run Global Times newspaper.

During a visit to Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval (known locally as the ‘Ice Ribbon’) this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping inspected technology in the venue.

One of 12 competition venues and the only one built exclusively for ice competition, the site uses carbon dioxide trans-critical direct ice-making technology, delivering almost zero carbon emissions.

The system’s waste heat in refrigeration can be further recycled, raising the energy efficiency by up to 40%.

President Xi’s visit to the Ice Ribbon was his fifth inspection visit to Winter Olympic sites.

North Korea will not compete
North Korean authorities have today advised that it will not be sending athletes to the Games.

It advised that it will miss the Beijing Winter Olympics because of the COVID-19 pandemic and "hostile forces' moves”.

In September, the International Olympic Committee suspended North Korea for refusing to send a team to the Tokyo Summer Games.

Images: Interior of Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval (top, credit: Xinhua) and Beijing Winter Olympics mascot, Shuey Rhon Rhon (below).

About the author

Nigel Benton

Co-founder/Publisher, Australasian Leisure Management

Born in the English county of Dorset, Nigel Benton is the co-founder and Publisher of Australasian Leisure Management, Australia, New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific’s only magazine for professionals in all areas of the leisure industry and the www.ausleisure.com.au website - the go to news resource for industry leaders and professionals.

With a long-term commitment to communicating all that is best about the leisure industry (aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues) his career has been defined by an ability to develop and implement industry communications.

Starting his career working in heritage visitor attractions and then adventure travel in Africa and the Middle East, an interest in writing about his experiences led to his change of career into magazine journalism and publishing.

In addition to publishing, Nigel speaks on marketing communications at a range of industry events.

He was made a Life Member of the World Leisure and Recreation Association in 2006 and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (London).

In 2020, he launched the new Asian Leisure Business website.

As of October 2024, he was inducted into the Australian Fitness Awards Roll of Honour at the 2024 AUSactive National Awards.

Among a range of published works and features, his comments on a Blog (blogspot) from 2007 to 2011, when this website went live in its current form, may be interesting to reflect back on.

His philosophy on life is to be kind to all and to indulge those that you love.

His passions include family, Newcastle United and motorcycles (especially British ones) as well, until February 2025 when she left us, caring a little pug named Stella.

Click here to connect with him via LinkedIn.