TOKYO 2016 Pledges Greenest Games in Olympic History on Back of G8 Summit
Tokyo, 10 July 2008 – Immediately after a successful G8 Summit in Japan where environmental issues were high on the agenda, TOKYO 2016 pledged to deliver the most environmentally-friendly Olympic and Paralympic Games in history. The commitment from Japan’s Bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games came after G8 world leaders reaffirmed their aim to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent by 2050.
At the Summit, Yasuo Fukuda, the Prime Minister of Japan, Chair of the G8 Summit and Supreme Advisor to TOKYO 2016, outlined his commitment to create a low carbon society to "pave the way for a better world". TOKYO 2016 welcomed the statement as an incredible opportunity for the Bid to be central to this aim, with the Games at the heart of Japan's vibrant capital city being the keystone of the greatest urban
and environmental transformation the world has ever seen.
The benefits of the TOKYO 2016 Games, like those of the G8 Summit, will transcend national borders and inspire hope for future generations across the globe. At the core of Tokyo's Bid is the 'Musubi Promise' - a commitment to deliver Games that will unite Green with 2016, youth with sport, old and new Japan, heritage and innovation and the Games with city life.
Using Japan's cutting-edge environmental technology, TOKYO 2016 will create a green legacy for the Olympic Movement, Japan and the international community. Already a leader in tackling global warming and climate change, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is currently engaged in a ten-year plan for 'Big Change', which will see Tokyo become home to a massive 1,000 hectares of new greenery in the city by 2016 and reduce its carbon emissions by 25 percent in 2020 compared to 2000.
Dr Ichiro Kono, Chairman and CEO of Tokyo 2016, said:
“The Olympic Movement is celebrated across the globe as a symbol of hope and inspiration. Post-G8, we are reminded of our responsibility to create a better world for the benefit of future generations. Like the G8 leaders, TOKYO 2016 is making the environment an absolute priority as we bid to unite Green with 2016. This is a concrete commitment that we will offer the world. Through Games-related initiatives we will help to transform Tokyo, where water and greenery already cover more than half the area of the city, while raising greater awareness of the need to tackle climate change. We will build a lasting legacy for the Olympic Movement, Tokyo and Japan that will stretch far beyond our borders and inspire other nations around the world.”
Tokyo is positioning global warming countermeasures, a major theme of the G8 Summit, as one of its major pillars under the ‘Tokyo’s Big Change’ master plan. To help achieve the goal of a ‘Carbon minus Tokyo’ by 2016, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government recently introduced a mandatory cap on carbon emissions within Tokyo’s largest offices and factories.
For further information, please contact:
Mihoko Nakagawa (Ms), Director, International Communications, TOKYO 2016 +81-3-5320-2480, mihoko.nakagawa@tokyo2016.or.jp
Masa Takaya (Mr), Manager, International Communications, TOKYO 2016 +81-3-5320-2480, masanori.takaya@tokyo2016.or.jp
At the Summit, Yasuo Fukuda, the Prime Minister of Japan, Chair of the G8 Summit and Supreme Advisor to TOKYO 2016, outlined his commitment to create a low carbon society to "pave the way for a better world". TOKYO 2016 welcomed the statement as an incredible opportunity for the Bid to be central to this aim, with the Games at the heart of Japan's vibrant capital city being the keystone of the greatest urban
and environmental transformation the world has ever seen.
The benefits of the TOKYO 2016 Games, like those of the G8 Summit, will transcend national borders and inspire hope for future generations across the globe. At the core of Tokyo's Bid is the 'Musubi Promise' - a commitment to deliver Games that will unite Green with 2016, youth with sport, old and new Japan, heritage and innovation and the Games with city life.
Using Japan's cutting-edge environmental technology, TOKYO 2016 will create a green legacy for the Olympic Movement, Japan and the international community. Already a leader in tackling global warming and climate change, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is currently engaged in a ten-year plan for 'Big Change', which will see Tokyo become home to a massive 1,000 hectares of new greenery in the city by 2016 and reduce its carbon emissions by 25 percent in 2020 compared to 2000.
Dr Ichiro Kono, Chairman and CEO of Tokyo 2016, said:
“The Olympic Movement is celebrated across the globe as a symbol of hope and inspiration. Post-G8, we are reminded of our responsibility to create a better world for the benefit of future generations. Like the G8 leaders, TOKYO 2016 is making the environment an absolute priority as we bid to unite Green with 2016. This is a concrete commitment that we will offer the world. Through Games-related initiatives we will help to transform Tokyo, where water and greenery already cover more than half the area of the city, while raising greater awareness of the need to tackle climate change. We will build a lasting legacy for the Olympic Movement, Tokyo and Japan that will stretch far beyond our borders and inspire other nations around the world.”
Tokyo is positioning global warming countermeasures, a major theme of the G8 Summit, as one of its major pillars under the ‘Tokyo’s Big Change’ master plan. To help achieve the goal of a ‘Carbon minus Tokyo’ by 2016, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government recently introduced a mandatory cap on carbon emissions within Tokyo’s largest offices and factories.
For further information, please contact:
Mihoko Nakagawa (Ms), Director, International Communications, TOKYO 2016 +81-3-5320-2480, mihoko.nakagawa@tokyo2016.or.jp
Masa Takaya (Mr), Manager, International Communications, TOKYO 2016 +81-3-5320-2480, masanori.takaya@tokyo2016.or.jp