ATHENS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics will be one of the greenest Olympic Games, setting an example for future organizations, Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) President Spyros Capralos told Xinhua in a recent interview.
The Chinese capital is about to make history, hosting the Winter Olympics from February 4 to 20, to be followed by the Paralympic Winter Games. It will be the first city to date to host both Summer and Winter editions of the Olympic Games.
China's role in protecting the environment by proposing a green Olympics will leave a mark for hosts of the Games from now on, said Capralos, who is also a member of International Olympic Committee (IOC).
"The whole world is witnessing the remarkable work that the country has done to create what I believe will be one of the greenest events in the history of the Olympic Games," said Capralos.
It is most impressive, for example, that under the Beijing Organizing Committee's Sustainability Plan, several venues for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics will be reused for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, he explained.
China's carbon offsetting measures and green energy methods have sent a clear signal to the world that the country is committed to the mission of advocating carbon neutrality and achieving sustainable development, Capralos noted.
It is clear that the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee is prioritizing environmental protection, resource conservation and eco-friendliness, he stressed.
"I hope that China's strategy will lead the way for the future and revolutionize the entire process of staging and delivering Olympic Games," Capralos said. ■
