The 7th World Conference on Sport and the Environment is taking place in Beijing 25-27 October 2007. The conference brings together representatives of governmental and non-governmental institutions, the United Nations, universities, international sports federations and candidate cities, as well as environmental organisations such as Greenpeace, to talk about environmental sustainability in the Olympic Games.
The aim of the meeting is to communicate and review the environmental work undertaken by the Olympic Movement and the accomplishments of the Beijing 2008 Games. The United Nations Environmental Review on the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games was published on the first day of the conference.
The report concludes that "significant strides are being made to 'green' the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games". The report congratulates city's environmental efforts on waste management, cleaner transport systems and water treatment, as well as new urban green belts, including a 580-hectare Olympic Forest Park.
According to the report, solar power is also being extensively deployed at stadia and at the Olympic village and "the organisers have well-developed plans to re-use and recycle venues after the games close."
While acknowledging the environmental efforts, the report highlights the remaining concerns and missed opportunities that "there may still be time to rectify".
Air pollution remains a priority concern. "More than 1,000 new cars are being registered daily and with coal remaining a key energy fuel, some key pollutants remain stubbornly high," states the UN. Other challenges include offsetting greenhouse gases, public awareness and under-utilisation of the city's expanding public transport network.
