7th World Conference on Sport and the Environment - International ...

Report
4.1.6. Speech by the BOCOG President, Mr Qi Liu
On this occasion of opening the Seventh <strong>World</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on Sport and the Environment, I would like to
express the warmest welcome to all of you on behalf of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games
of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG).
The <strong>World</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on Sport and the Environment is a grand gathering for people from the sport and
environment protection circles to discuss issues on global environment protection. Since its initiation
in 1995, the conference has been upholding the aim of “ensuring the incorporation of the sustainability
concept into various sport and recreation events by the Olympic Movement and the world sport circle as
well as building up and developing a partnership of sustainable development”, and has made an active
contribution to the development of sport and the environment protection in the world and the promotion
of the harmony between man and nature.
Today, the Seventh <strong>World</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on Sport and the Environment is opened in Beijing, which will host
the 2008 Olympic Games. It is an important practice of combining sport and the environment advocated
by Olympics, a significant measure to disseminate the environment protection concept and enhance
the sustainable development strategy through the Olympic platform, and also a precious opportunity to
expand the influence and create a nice image of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. We hope this conference
will help us to further intensify communication and cooperation with the sport and the environment
protection circles all over the world, and implement the concept of Green Olympics more extensively and
deeply, so that preparations for the 2008 Olympics can make remarkable achievements in protecting the
ecological environment and forging the harmony between man and nature.
The ecological environment is the basic foundation for human survival and development, while sport has
its unique function in promoting the full development of human beings. Human health and wellness as
well as the harmony between man and nature promoted by the combination of sport and the environment
are important aspects in promoting the social progress and sustainable development. At present, the
Chinese people are accelerating the paces in building up a moderately prosperous and harmonious
society in a comprehensive way under the guidance of the Scientific Outlook on Development. The
Chinese government is attaching great importance to the protection and construction of the ecological
environment while energetically developing sports. Energy-saving and environment protection are
basic state policies. “Building a resource-conserving and environment-friendly society” is an important
goal for China’s social development. At the Seventeenth National Congress of the Communist Party
of China (CPC) which was just concluded, President Hu Jintao stressed that we would promote a
conservation culture by basically forming an energy- and resource-efficient and environment-friendly
structure of industries, pattern of growth and mode of consumption. We will have a circular economy on
a moderately large scale and considerably increase the proportion of renewable energy sources in total
energy consumption by 2020. The discharge of major pollutants will be brought under effective control
and the ecological environment quality will be improved notably. Awareness of conservation will be firmly
established in the whole society.
The preparation for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games provides a precious opportunity for the development
of sport and the environment in China and promote the construction of a conservation culture. We have
brought forward the strategy of “New Beijing, Great Olympics”, to combine the preparatory work and the
city development. “Green Olympics, Scientific Olympics and People’s Olympics” are the three ideological
ideas of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Implementing “Green Olympics”, adopting advanced
technology for environment protection, intensifying the environment protection publicity and education,
improving the environmental quality and building up an amenity city are the important conditions for the
successful Olympic Games and also important tasks of preparation for the Olympics.
Supported by the Central Government, the State Environment Protection Administration of China
(SEPA), Beijing municipal government and five other provincial governments around Beijing constituted
the Coordinating Group on Air Quality for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, formulated the Air Quality
Guarantee Scheme for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and took joint actions to improve the air quality of
Beijing. Beijing municipal government and BOCOG stipulated the Action Plan for Beijing 2008 Olympic
Games and the Plan for Ecological and Environmental Protection, incorporating the construction and
protection of ecological environment into the whole preparatory process as a long-term task. We will
vigorously strengthen the construction of environmental infrastructures including sewage treatment,
garbage treatment and air quality monitoring, and enhance the city’s capacity to reduce pollution and
protect the environment. Environment-friendly materials and technologies are put into extensive use
<strong>7th</strong> <strong>World</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> on Sport and the Environment
International Cooperation and Development Dept.
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