CHANGE TO CLEAN TRANSPORT AS RESULT OF THE BEIJING OLYMPIC GAMES
The municipality of Beijing took more than 200 measures to improve air quality in the past ten years. UN Environment Program (UNEP) has been working with the Beijing Olympic Committee for the last three years in order to help make the Summer Games environmentally-friendly.
The Chinese government states it has spent 17 billion U.S. dollars on a large-scale green drive ahead of the Games, including a series of long-term environmental improvements for the city. As part of this, the city of Beijing has introduced tougher standards for vehicle emissions and phased out ozone-depleting substances. The authorities have also expanded Beijing's public transport network with three new subway lines and the introduction of some 3, 800 compressed natural gas buses -- one of the largest fleets of in any city in the world. The city has replaced 50,000 taxis and 10,000 buses with environment-friendly vehicles.
During the games 50 electric buses, built by Zhongtong, are running on the road in Beijing. These electric buses are the first in Beijing to use an advanced lithium ion electric battery, which enjoy a higher energy density, comparatively smaller cubage and a longer life span for repetitive use. Each bus can carry 80 people per trip and reach a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour. With batteries fully charged, it can run 130 kilometers without recharging. During the Games, a 5,000-square-meter station northwest of the Xiongmao roundabout temporary bus terminal will offer 24-hour parking, transfer, maintenance and battery charging services for the electric buses. Following the two weeks of the Olympic Games in August, the clean energy buses will be utilized within the public transport system of Beijing for years to come.
The transport sector, which relies almost entirely on oil, is projected to account for a large part of China’s new demand for oil during the next 20 years, and the source of much of China’s future emissions. According to official statistics, it is predicted that by 2010 the percentage of emissions from large cities will make up 64 percent of all emissions in China. Therefore, the application of low-carbon approaches to urban transport stands as a key challenge for both domestic energy security and global climate change.
