Calculating the greenhouse gas emissions of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

 

By staff reporter Li Hujun and intern reporter Sun Haomu

http://english.caijing.com.cn/2008-09-03/110010124.html

 

Beijing enjoyed the clearest skies in a decade thanks to long-term and temporary restrictions made for the Olympics. Expectations remain, however, even after the Games have ended. Observers are paying close attention to the Beijing Olympics’ role in averting global warming.

 

Caijing has learned that the Chinese government and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) will conduct a final assessment of the Beijing Olympics, in terms of both greenhouse gas emissions and carbon offsets. The question still hanging in the air is whether or not the Games achieved a “carbon balance”.

 

Sports Affect Climate

 

“Carbon balance” is a new term, referring to total carbon release. If the amount of carbon released balances the amount of carbon sequestered or offset, there is “carbon neutrality”.

 

Why assess “carbon balance” of the Beijing Olympics? Beyond the sports events, the Games generate greenhouse gases, mainly in the long-distance travel of delegates and spectators, the construction and operation of the Olympic venues such as the “Bird’s Nest” and “Water Cube”, and even in the torch relay.

 

Achim Steiner, UN Undersecretary General and Executive Director of the UNEP, told Caijing that greenhouse gas emissions are inevitable when the Olympic Games bring people together. But he also pointed out that the Games’ carbon footprint and carbon emissions could be reduced and offset.

 

The Torino 2006 and Germany World Cup set an example in climate protection. What is different between those two events and the Beijing Olympics is that the “Kyoto Protocol” obligated developed countries such as Italy and Germany to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while a developing country such as China has had no such obligations up to now. What’s more, when Beijing won the bid for Olympics seven years ago, the issue of climate change was not as prominent as today. So Beijing did not mention climate change in its Green Olympic pledge.

 

It was not until last October that the United Nations explicitly recommended that the Beijing Olympic Committee publicly commit to offsetting greenhouse gases.

 

 

Fulfill “Carbon Balance”

 

Caijing has learned that the Beijing Olympic Committee did not directly respond to the UNEP’s proposal, though the Chinese government immediately began to estimate the carbon footprint of the Olympics.

 

On April 25, at the International Forum on Climate Change and Science & Technology Innovation hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology and other ministries, a special venue with the theme “carbon balance and the Green Olympics” displayed China’s initiative.

 

Xu Huaqing, a researcher at the Energy Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at the forum that the Beijing Olympics would release an estimated 1.18 megatons of carbon dioxide or equivalent gases, all of which would be offset by “Green Olympics” measures. That estimate was presented by a team of researchers from the Administrative Center for China’s Agenda 21, the Energy Research Institute of the National Development Reform Commission, Geography Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Tsinghua University.

 

Out of the 1.18 megatons, the majority come from activities by the audience. About 0.1 megaton come from construction and operation of the venues, 20,000 tons come from the activities of the athletes and officials, and 80,000 tons come from activities of the Olympic Committee, such as the torch relay.

 

With the Beijing Olympics designated as “Green Olympics”, the organizers established as a zero-emission zone the 3.8 sq km area surrounding key sports venues, using eco-friendly cars such as electric, hybrid and fuel cell cars. Many venues including the “Bird’s Nest” are powered by solar energy. In addition, other policies have been implemented, such as the building of the Olympic Forest Park, the shutdown of some polluting factories as well as the even-odd license plate system.

 

Based on the team’s conservative estimate, the use of clean energy vehicles during the Olympics was expected to offset 20,000 tons of emissions, and renewable energy products in the venues such as solar energy was to reduce about 1000 tons of emissions. After the Olympics, the facilities will contribute more offsets in the long run.

 

Thanks to the energy saving measures like tree-planting, factory shutdowns, and control of the use of vehicles, the total offsets are close to or have even surpassed the greenhouse gases released by the Beijing Olympics.

 

Technology Minister said in a press conference held by the State Council on May 8 that the Beijing Olympics would be “basically” carbon neutral.

　　

Hazy Result

 

Whether the “carbon balance” can be ensured or not, however, is still unknown.

 

Theodore Oben, UNEP Chief of Sports & the Environment, told Caijing that the energy-saving measures and tree-planting would make a difference, but in order to evaluate the “carbon balance”, the total emissions of the Olympics should be calculated, including international flights and domestic flights by the athletes and guests.

 

However, there is strong controversy as to how to calculate the greenhouse emissions generated by their flights.

 

For example, according to the “carbon emissions calculator” on the website of the non-governmental organization “climate-friendly”, a roundtrip economy-class flight from London to Beijing generates emissions of 4.8 tons, and one from Washington to Beijing generates 6.6 tons, which exceeds the emissions of the average Chinese person over a whole year.

 

If the emissions are calculated this way, as recommended by non-governmental organizations such as the WWF, flight emissions generated by the Beijing Olympics alone far exceed the previously estimated 1.18 megatons.

 

In comparison, the ICAO “carbon emissions calculator” presents different results. Economy-class flights from London to Beijing and from Washington to Beijing release 1.15 tons and 1.6 tons of emissions respectively, less than a quarter of the climate-friendly calculation.

 

It is still unknown which count will be adopted by the research team of the Chinese government.

 

In addition, some basic data such as the exact number of spectators and resources consumed in the torch relay have not been announced. By the end of the year, the UNEP is expected to report its environmental assessment of the Beijing Olympics, with these final details on the “carbon neutrality” of the Olympics.

 

In fact, as to the definition of “carbon balance” or “carbon neutrality”, there is strong debate around the world.

 

Yang Ailun, Climate & Energy Manager of Greenpeace China, told Caijing that although it’s a hot topic and will come up in the 2012 London Olympics, “carbon neutrality” still lacks clear definition such as the calculation of emissions and the offsets.

 

In her view, the International Olympic Committee should first and foremost set up clear standards for the “carbon neutrality”.

 

However, there is no doubt that Beijing Olympics will leave a valuable legacy no matter whether “carbon balance” or “carbon neutrality” is achieved, and a legacy with benefits beyond Beijing.

 

After all, Greenpeace acknowledged this legacy in its environmental report, “China after the Olympics: Lessons from Beijing.” “These reductions reflect real measures taken to ensure that energy consumption is minimized through these Olympic initiatives”, Greenpeace wrote.

 

Steiner of the UNEP told Caijing, “From what I can see, people here regard the Olympics not only as a 17-day event, but an opportunity for China to adopt clean development mechanisms. This is the best return a country can get from the Olympics”.■

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