Sponsors of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games have been required to
protect the ozone layer to ensure a "Green Olympics", according to
a newly-released report on the Beijing Olympics and Paralymics.
The Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG)
had requested Olympic sponsors, such as Volkswagen (China), Coca
Cola, McDonald's and Haier, to protect the environment protection
and the ozone layer, according to the report released Thursday by
the Construction and Environment Department of BOCOG.
The report, which summarizes BOCOG's work in the 2001-2006
period, stresses that ozone layer protection has been a major
aspect of the concept of the "Green Olympics", which, together with
"High-tech Olympics" and "People's Olympics", has been adopted as a
theme for the Games.
Yu Xiaoxuan, deputy director of the Construction and Environment
Department, said all the Olympic sponsors have expressed their
willingness to do their best to make the Games ozone friendly.
Coca Cola is considering partially adopting natural
refrigerants, such as carbon dioxide, rather than ozone depleting
substances (ODS) for almost 4,000 freezers to be provided during
the Games.
In addition to its pledge not to use any ODS during the Games,
McDonald's has a team dedicated to dealing with the use of any
ODS.
China's biggest home appliance manufacturer Haier is planning to
develop a new generation of refrigerators by adopting natural
refrigerants from solar energy. So far, all refrigerators produced
by the company do not use chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), which damage
the ozone layer.
"We will continue to collaborate with the sponsors and ask them
to fulfill their commitments in the days to come," Yu said.
(Xinhua News Agency September 28, 2007)