Beijing Olympics 2008: An urban transformation
Description
Source: Shanghai Manual: A Guide for Sustainable Urban Development in the 21st Century (2010)
The Beijing Olympics highlighted a number of environmental issues, including the city's poor air quality. During the bid phase in 2000, Beijing set ambitious goals to improve the city's environment. The goals ranged from addressing air and water quality and waste management to introducing environmental considerations in the development of new infrastructure.
Initiatives to improve air quality and reduce air pollution included the relocation and retrofitting of major polluting industries, restrictions on construction sites, conversion of coal burning boilers to cleaner fuels like natural gas and the implementation of vehicle emissions standards within the city. In addition, Beijing vastly expanded its transportation infrastructure to improve local, regional, national and international connections. The improvement in public transport continues to help millions in their daily commute and has helped reduce the amount of automobile pollution since the conclusion of the Olympic games.
In addition, Beijing significantly upgraded its wastewater treatment and sewage network capacity. A variety of water saving schemes and rainwater collection and re-use systems were implemented in the Olympic Village and competition venues. The city also made efforts to improve the quality and availability of clean drinking water, placing the protection of drinking water reservoirs high on the agenda. Beijing also implemented an improved waste processing system throughout the city in preparation for the Olympics that still benefits the city today.
Beijing 2008 shows how a mega-event can have a significant impact on urban infrastructure and livability provided that it is properly integrated in an already existing programme of infrastructure, technology and policy roadmap development.
SDGS & Targets
Goal 8
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
8.1
8.1.1
Annual growth rate of real GDP per capita
8.2
Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors
8.2.1
Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person
8.3
Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services
8.3.1
Proportion of informal employment in total employment, by sector and sex
8.4
Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, with developed countries taking the lead
8.4.1
Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP
8.4.2
Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP
8.5
8.5.1
Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age and persons with disabilities
8.5.2
Unemployment rate, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
8.6
8.6.1
Proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) not in education, employment or training
8.7
Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms
8.7.1
Proportion and number of children aged 5‑17 years engaged in child labour, by sex and age
8.8
Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment
8.8.1
Fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers, by sex and migrant status
8.8.2
Level of national compliance with labour rights (freedom of association and collective bargaining) based on International Labour Organization (ILO) textual sources and national legislation, by sex and migrant status
8.9
By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
8.9.1
Tourism direct GDP as a proportion of total GDP and in growth rate
8.10
Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all
8.10.1
(a) Number of commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults and (b) number of automated teller machines (ATMs) per 100,000 adults
8.10.2
Proportion of adults (15 years and older) with an account at a bank or other financial institution or with a mobile-money-service provider
8.a
8.a.1
Aid for Trade commitments and disbursements
8.b
By 2020, develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment and implement the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organization
8.b.1
Existence of a developed and operationalized national strategy for youth employment, as a distinct strategy or as part of a national employment strategy
SDG 14 targets covered
Deliverables & Timeline
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
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