Environmental Groups Join Beijing's Bid for Green Olympics

Environmental Groups Join Beijing's Bid for Green Olympics

With the support of 20 environmental groups, Beijing has promised to stage a Green Olympics in 2008.

The Beijing-based environmental bodies joined their hands with the Beijing 2008 Olympics Games Bid Committee and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Environmental Protection in this campaign as they inked the "Act Plan for Green Olympics" Thursday in Beijing.

To fight against urban pollution has been one of the top priorities for Beijing, one of the ten cities bidding for the 2008 quadrennial games.

Beijing will motivate all walks of life to make sure that during the July-August period in 2008, the environmental quality will be completely up to the standards for hosting the Games, according to the pact.

Liao Sheri, President of the Global Village of Beijing, praised the agreement as "unprecedented in the history of Beijing environmental protection".

"Whether Beijing finally win the 2008 bid or not, the Act Plan for Green Olympics will be of great significance to Beijing's sustainable development," said Liao at the signing ceremony.

Liao received the prestigious Sophie Prize in May in Norway for her pioneering efforts to combat pollution and environmental degradation in China.

Liang Congjie, President of Friends of Nature, expressed his hope that the 2008 bid could help Beijing make great progress in addressing the beleaguering problems in environment.

"Be serious in solving the environmental problem, so that the Beijingers could still benefit from the Olympics bid even if we lost it," said Liang, who founded China's first environmental NGO.

"People can benefit from the bid, that is why we support it," added Liang, who will fly to Manila tomorrow to receive this year's Ramon Magsaysay Award for public service.