The 2022 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games have garnered the world's attention and fully demonstrated the fighting spirit of Olympic and Paralympic athletes worldwide. With its successful ending, China has achieved fruitful outcomes from the green Olympics and has secured extraordinary achievements in ecological civilization and building a beautiful China [1].
The Chinese government launched its enterprise of environmental conservation in 1972 [2]. Since then, China has carried out a series of actions, from the early three-wastes-disposal policy, which treated exhaust gas, wastewater and waste residue from industrial production, to the governance of key polluted cities, then to the improvement of environmental quality, and to the current goal of building a beautiful China by 2035 [3]. Nowadays, the ecological environmental protection in China has entered a critical period with a direction shifted to carbon emission reduction [4]. We aim to promote synergy between anti-pollution and carbon-emission reduction, advance the comprehensive green transition in economic and social development, and improve the ecological environment by making changes in quantity and quality [5,6].
In the past five years, we have made much progress toward building a beautiful China. Firstly, the green initiative has turned out fruitful. As the consumption of clean and renewable energy is increasing and the CO2 emissions per unit of GDP are decreasing, China is now among the countries with the fastest reduction in energy intensity and has roughly reversed the rapid growth of CO2 emissions [7]. Secondly, the ecological environment in China has continued to improve in terms of air pollution control, water quality enhancement, soil utilization, and forest coverage. Thirdly, modern ecological and environmental governance capacity has been continuously enhanced. Furthermore, China has actively participated in global environmental and climate governance and made a solemn commitment to peak CO2 emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. These two commitments are incorporated into the overall layout of ecological conservation and high-quality development.
Over the past five years, the green Olympic Games have gone into reality from a vision, substantiated into actions from mere concepts. In the commitment to hosting ‘green, inclusive, open and clean Olympic Winter Games’, the green initiate comes first. The green Olympic concept highlighted the combination of sports development and ecological conservation. In other words, people enjoy the infinite charm of ice and snow sports and appreciate the ecological beauty of nature with the harmonious integration of sports facilities with the natural landscape.
To fulfill the promise, the Chinese government implemented the green Olympic measures, renovated and utilized venues, and tried to reduce the environmental impact from the design stage of new venues. Take the National Speed Skating Oval, also known as the ‘Ice Ribbon’, as an example. It has become the world's first long-track speed skating venue using a CO2 transcritical direct cooling system in generating ice, with carbon emissions approaching zero [8]. Besides, low-carbon transportation practices, low-carbon energy utilization, and low-carbon standard requirements were fully applied to achieve the green initiative, effectively promoting the comprehensive green transition in economic and social development. At the opening ceremony, a small flame was used instead of a raging fire, fully reflecting the concept of low carbon emission and environmental protection. This can also be considered a new starting point for the green Olympics. Moreover, the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics has fulfilled its commitment to achieving carbon neutrality and become the first carbon-neutral Winter Olympics by using significant photovoltaic and wind power generation, local donations of forestry carbon sinks, and corporate sponsorship of certified emission reduction.
The measures taken to cut carbon emissions in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics are unprecedented. Although the amount of CO2 emission having been cut is just one drop in the ocean compared to the annual emissions in China, the value of its achievement demonstrates the possibility of broader carbon-neutral activities [9].
Following the spirit of ‘Together for a shared future’, the 2022 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games' official slogan, China will take the green Olympics as an opportunity, follow the strategic deployment of ecological civilization and the construction of a beautiful China, focus on key points, and make up for shortcomings and weaknesses. China will put forth efforts to battle against pollution, accelerate the complete green transition in economic and social development, and take well-ordered steps towards carbon neutrality. In the future, China will continue to improve its ecological environment while making more remarkable contributions to building a community with a shared future for humanity and making the earth our beautiful homeland.
Footnotes
This Editorial is a briefing of Dr. Jinnan Wang's speech on the themed press conference of beautiful China and green Winter Olympics held on February 18, 2022, at Beijing Media Center.
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