SupportThe Beijing Winter Olympics are well underway, but serious concerns are being raised about China’s enthusiastic initiative to brand the 2022 Beijing Olympics as the first “green” Olympic games, running on 100% renewable electricity. Beijing organizers have consistently voiced their commitment to achieving carbon-neutral games as far back as their initial 2014 Commitment to the (WHO) World Health Organization’s air quality standards required by the International Olympic Committee.
What has many experts concerned about the validity of these claims stems from the 2021 report released by US-based Rhodium Group stated China’s greenhouse gas emissions measured at a whopping 27%, exceeding all developed nations combined. The same report stated that China’s emissions have more than tripled over the previous three decades. Naturally, this has raised questions and concerns among experts and advocates in the field.
Beijing’s preparations for the 2022 Winter Olympics began mid-2019 at which point it was figured that by the conclusion of the games, venues would require about 400 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity, as reported by official organizers. That amount of power is equal to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 180,000 Chinese households. By the end of 2021, the installed capacity of both wind and solar power was more than 600 gigawatts (GW). That combined with generated hydro power’s total of 2,480 (TWh) of renewable electricity, China’s capacity of renewable energy generated last year can sufficiently cover the Olympics electricity and power demand in Beijing this year.
Carbon-neutral measures have been taken by the Beijing Organizing Committee by implementing the repurposing of venues that use energy-saving transport resulting in the exclusive use of “green energy”. In preparation for the games following China’s winning bid to host the Olympic games, organizers published reports, in addition to plans to be executed that would include eco-friendly measures that range from electric bus transportation to sustainable artificial snow, considering Beijing usually sees less than 6 inches of snow annually.
This is not the first widely covered athletic event, including previous Olympic Games, to take serious steps towards reducing carbon footprints. But this piece of Olympic power initiative will set a precedent for all athletic events, arenas, and energy resources used to follow suit in the future. What’s promising about the Beijing Winter Olympics agenda to improve renewable energy, is the impact this initiative could have on a global scale – particularly for the United States coming in as the second largest county emitting 11% greenhouse gases, with India and EU-27 coming in at 3rd, and 4th with 6.6% and 6.4% emissions, respectively.
Energy and Power make the world go around, as clearly demonstrated by recent reports being globally circulated to encourage all of us to do our part. At Temporary Power Supply, we aim to be in a constant stage of innovation by conducting intensive research, fueling passion for our company, and most importantly, focusing on the needs of our clients. In an ever-evolving industry, Temporary Power Supply is dedicated to providing high quality products to provide for your temporary power needs.