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China says Beijing Olympics “basically” carbon neutral

The Beijing Olympics will be "basically" carbon neutral thanks to a series of energy-saving measures, such as the use of solar power and an afforestation programme, agencies reported a senior official as saying on Thursday.

Technology minister Wan Gang was reported as saying that the event was
expected to generate 1.18 million tonnes of carbon, in part because so
many athletes and spectators were travelling long distances.

"The ‘Green Olympics’ will take a series of measures, including
technological ones, like planting of trees and controlling the use of
vehicles, to reduce emissions by between 1 million and 1.29 million
tonnes," Wan was reported as saying. "We can basically ensure that
emissions will be balanced."

China plans to restrict use of cars during the Olympics to ease
traffic on Beijing’s roads, but it would be unusual to count any
reduction in pollution that resulted from vehicle controls towards an
event’s overall emissions footprint, the Reuters report noted.

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