UNEP has been working with the Beijing Olympic Committee for the last three years in order to help make the Summer Games of 2008 environmentally-friendly. The Chinese government has spent US$17 billion on a large-scale green drive ahead of the Games, including a series of long-term environmental improvements for the city.
As part of this effort, the city has introduced tougher standards for vehicle emissions and phased out ozone-depleting substances. The authorities have also expanded Beijing's public transport network with three new subway lines and the introduction of some 3,800 compressed natural gas buses-one of the largest fleets of in any city in the world. The Olympic venues themselves also have many green features: 20 per cent of their energy comes from clean wind sources, solar power features prominently in the Olympic Village, and the Bird's Nest stadium has an advanced rainwater recycling system.
Authorities in China believe that the development of Green Living must be grassroots-based
in the context of a community. Regardless of a person's profession or line of work, all are
part of a community. Green living has the capacity to affect the daily lives of people and
create a successful and sustainable community. Starting in 1996, Beijing Da Cheng Xiang
community established the first garbage-sorting site in response to several Global Village
Beijing campaigns aimed at bringing environmental awareness into the daily lives of
citizens.
Global Village Beijing cooperated with the Xuan Wu municipal government in 1999 to found the first Green Community in China. The characteristics of a Green Community include
environmentally sound architecture (green building) combined with energy and water
conservation, garbage collection and sorting, and public participation consisting of
government ministries, companies, public organizations and community representatives. A
large group of public volunteers function as the promoters of environmental protection
campaigns and Green households. Besides community development, self-management, autonomy and self-education remain important aspects of community building and civil society in general.
The environmental condition of the nation's railroads has also become a significant issue
during the past few years. Consequently, a Green Olympics Train was started to disseminate public education campaigns on the need to preserve biodiversity in China's Southwest. There has been special focus on this region, where biodiversity is threatened by development.
Text courtesy - UNEP and Global Village Beijing. Photograph courtesy Global Village Beijing. UNEP is a partner and cooperating organization with dgCommunity Urban Development.
