Bangkok, Thailand, May 11, 2024: The Olympic Council of Asia awarded the OCA Sports and Environment Award to the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (HAGOC) at the 43rd OCA General Assembly in Bangkok on Saturday.
HAGOC received the award for hosting a zero carbon-emission Asian Games and the first ever Green Asian Games in Hangzhou last September/October.
The highlights of the Hangzhou Asian Games from a sports and environment perspective included digital fireworks at the opening and closing ceremony, the use of methanol as the cauldron fuel, a Guinness World Records certification for the participation of 107 million people in the “Going Green for a Carbon-neutral Asian Games Campaign” and a new Guinness World Record of 100 million digital torchbearers lighting the cauldron at the opening ceremony.
Another interesting point was that the toothbrush cups and clothes hangers in the rooms of the Asian Games Village were made of biodegradable wheat straw. Also, the Asian Games Village collected 57 tons of paper lunch and milk boxes and 92 tons of other low-value waste, which were processed into 89.34 tons of raw paper to make things like paper bags and fans.
The Chair of the OCA Sports and Environment Committee, Mr. Yu Kyung-sun of Korea, described the Hangzhou Asian Games as “very impressive and environment-friendly” and said it was a good model to follow.
