"Green" medal for Torino.

At this year's Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, some of the most remarkable achievements took place before athletes and spectators even arrived. With several years of help from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Torino Olympic Organizing Committee (TOROC) undertook an ambitious plan to "green" the Games by cutting emissions, curbing water-intensive snowmaking, and promoting eco-friendly hotels.

For the first time, Olympic organizers planned to offset all carbon emissions produced during the Games--an estimated 100,000 metric tons--by investing in forestry, energy efficiency, and renewable energy projects. "Climate change and offsetting carbon dioxide emissions are high priorities ..., especially as winter sports and climate change are closely interrelated," said Ugo Pretato, Head of Environment Programmes for TOROC. The carbon offsets, which mainly covered emissions from transport and the operation of Olympic venues, were purchased in line with the Kyoto Protocol, with funding provided by local governments.

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When faced with the need for 20 new reservoirs to provide water for snowmaking, organizers instead developed resource-saving techniques, restricting construction to nine reservoirs and minimizing impacts to vulnerable alpine ecosystems. They also planned to transport excess sewage away from the mountains to avoid building new purification plants. Where construction was inevitable--as at the Cesana Pariol bobsled track and the Pragelato ski-jump--natural engineering techniques were incorporated to restore disturbed habitat. Athletes' accommodations and media buildings were constructed so that they could be used effectively after the games ended. And many area hotels earned the European Eco-Label, a mark that helps tourists identify lodging that meets environmental guidelines.

For the 2008 Summer Olympics, UNEP has already signed an agreement with the Beijing Organizing Committee to address air, water, and noise pollution as well as transport, lodging, waste management, and public awareness.