(BEIJING, April 19) -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was awarded the Champion of the Earth 2007 during an official ceremony in Singapore on Thursday.

The Chairman of the IOC Sport and Environment Commission, Pál Schmitt, and member Ser Miang Ng received the award on behalf of the Committee.

"With the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing, Vancouver and London, we have important challenges ahead of us. We are glad that we can meet them with the Organising Committees in the host country and host cities that are taking our concerns seriously. We have asked them to place the bar very high, and are challenging them with strict criteria to be respected, " said Rogge in a video message.

An integral part of Olympism, the environment has been a major concern for the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), which adopted the "Green Olympics" as one of the three key concepts for the Games preparations.

To organize environment friendly Games, BOCOG has increased its co-operation with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). On Nov 18, 2005, BOCOG and the United UNEP signed a memorandum of understanding on the collection and exchange of environmental information, as well as on environmental promotion and education.

On October 11, 2006, BOCOG passed the overall examination of its environmental management system (EMS), and has been accredited with a re-certified ISO14001 by China's Environmental Certification Center.

New measures have been taken to curb industrial pollution. The city's five coal-burning power plants will complete their dust removal, desulfuration and denitration plans.

The city has also been working on plans to mobilize more and more people in the fight against air pollutions. Residents have been encouraged to use public transportation and clean energies such as natural gas are replacing coal.

Beijing 2008 is also conducting, along with Vancouver 2010 and London 2012, the Olympic Games Global Impact (OGGI) study, launched by the IOC, in order to help its partners understand the impact of the edition of the Games which they have been elected to host.

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IOC honoured with Champion of the Earth 2007 Award (Official Website of Olympic Movement)