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How 'green' are the Beijing Winter Olympics?

From natural CO2 refrigeration at ice rinks … to 100% renewables-powered venues,

Beijing has vowed to run a ‘carbon negative’ Winter Games.

(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) GENERAL MANAGER OF OLYMPIC SPORTS CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, JIA MAOTING, SAYING:"The Winter Olympics is actually a driving force for improving the local environment."

But questions over pollution, ecological sustainability and the extensive use of artificial snow have raised concerns.

China, the world's biggest polluter, is striving to show off its leadership in climate friendly technology.

In an Olympics first – organizers are using carbon dioxide from industrial waste gases to cool ice rinks in its four ice sports venues.

It’s meant to replace traditional hydrofluorocarbons that can damage the ozone layer.

Meanwhile, all Games venues are fully powered by electricity from wind farms

and more than 800 hydrogen-fuelled vehicles are deployed.

(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) BOCOG DIRECTOR OF SUSTAINABILITY DIVISION, LIU XINPING SAYING:"Our Green House Gas emission baseline was calculated at 1.306 million tonnes of CO2, the calculation is the max possible emission, but we think the actual figure won't be more than 1.306 million tonnes, so I am still quite confident to say that this can be a 'carbon negative' Olympics."

Still, concern from environmentalists has not eased.

This will be first Winter Olympics to use almost 100% artificial snow.

For months, hundreds of snow generators have been pumping out snow around the clock

to create a winter wonderland on what are in fact arid mountains that receive little natural snow.

Environmentalists say artificial snowmaking adds pressure on regions with already strained water resources.

Zhao Weidong, the spokesperson for the organizing committee, says otherwise.

(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) BEIJING 2022 WINTER OLYMPICS ORGANISING COMMITTEE SPOKESPERSON, ZHAO WEIDONG, SAYING: "Our artificial snow making mechanism is in line with the sustainability requirements. We use water from surface runoff, rainfall to create the snow. And the machines to make snow are using the most advanced system. We have fully considered the needs of snow tracks located in the venues in Zhangjiakou and Yanqing, which meet the requirement of international standard."

In a pre-Games report in January, the Beijing Winter Olympics Committee said

about 174,000 tons of emissions have been saved via deployment of low-carbon energy and venues.

Most of that reduction comes from the absence of overseas spectators at the Beijing Games due to restrictions.

A detailed sustainability report is expected to be released after the Games come to a close.