Artificial lake at the Beijing Olympic Stadium

The adoption of advanced pollutant-reduction technologies in plants and the increasing use of clean energy resources had also contributed to the reduction, he said.

Olympic venues employing the latest energy conservation methods were almost pollution-free and would influence future construction in the city.

"The vast forestation campaign for the Games has also led to a reduction in carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas," he said.

Beijing was the only provincial-level administrative region last year that achieved a national goal of reducing major pollutants by 2 percent.

Speaking at the Nobel Laureates Beijing Forum, Beijing Mayor Wang Qishan said the city will reduce sulfur dioxide discharge by 20 percent and chemical oxygen demand by 15 percent before 2010.

(China Daily September 12, 2007)