In a landmark decision guided by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), natural CO2 refrigeration systems will be used in most of the Beijing 2022 ice venues. This will decrease the overall carbon footprint of the Beijing Olympic Games 2022. The decision has been announced by the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee, as it joins the UN Sports for Climate Action framework led by the IOC. This will be the first time this technology is used in China and at the Olympic Games. It signifies a reduction of carbon emissions equal to the yearly footprint of almost 3,900 cars (more than 2,60,00,000 kg). A similar carbon reduction could also be achieved by planting more than 12,00,000 trees. The IOC’s involvement in this development stems from its strong commitment to sustainability, which is a key pillar of Olympic Agenda 2020 – the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement. As part of this commitment, the IOC is working to ensure that sustainability principles are embedded across all its operations: as an organisation, as the owner of the Olympic Games and as the leader of the Olympic Movement.
(Source: Olympic.org, June 26, 2019)