Sponsors of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games have been required to protect the ozone layer to ensure a "Green Olympics", according to a newly-released report on the Beijing Olympics and Paralymics.

The Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG) had requested Olympic sponsors, such as Volkswagen (China), Coca Cola, McDonald's and Haier, to protect the environment protection and the ozone layer, according to the report released Thursday by the Construction and Environment Department of BOCOG.

The report, which summarizes BOCOG's work in the 2001-2006 period, stresses that ozone layer protection has been a major aspect of the concept of the "Green Olympics", which, together with "High-tech Olympics" and "People's Olympics", has been adopted as a theme for the Games.

Yu Xiaoxuan, deputy director of the Construction and Environment Department, said all the Olympic sponsors have expressed their willingness to do their best to make the Games ozone friendly.

Coca Cola is considering partially adopting natural refrigerants, such as carbon dioxide, rather than ozone depleting substances (ODS) for almost 4,000 freezers to be provided during the Games.

In addition to its pledge not to use any ODS during the Games, McDonald's has a team dedicated to dealing with the use of any ODS.

China's biggest home appliance manufacturer Haier is planning to develop a new generation of refrigerators by adopting natural refrigerants from solar energy. So far, all refrigerators produced by the company do not use chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), which damage the ozone layer.

"We will continue to collaborate with the sponsors and ask them to fulfill their commitments in the days to come," Yu said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 28, 2007)