Focusing on seven sponsors - Coca-Cola, Lenovo, Panasonic, Yili, Haier, McDonald's and Samsung - the report scrutinises their use of technology that could reduce climate change and toxic waste and protect the ozone layer.
The report slams Lenovo for failing to phase in green computers that avoid using climate-damaging materials PVC and BFRs in time for the Olympics.
"In 2006, Lenovo gave Greenpeace a commitment to phase out PVC and BFRs from all its products by the end of 2009, but the company has yet to put a 100 per cent PVC- and BFR-free product on the market," reads the report.
Panasonic, which will supply audio-visual equipment for the Games, comes under fire for failing to provide any products that do not contain the same toxic chemicals.
Coca-Cola receives praise for using technology free of HFCs (greenhouse gases) in all of the Olympic refrigerators, but Greenpeace insists the drinks giant still is far from green.
"In May 2008, Coca-Cola announced that by 2010 it will deploy 100,000 climate-friendly refrigerators worldwide. We believe that Coke needs to do much more – the 100,000 coolers represents less than 1 per cent of the company’s 11 million refrigeration units."
Haier receives credit for promoting prototypes of climate-friendly air conditioners at the Games, but is slated as most of its air-conditioning units rely on climate-changing refrigerants.
McDonald's receives similar criticism. The burger chain has introduced some HFC-free cooling technology in its Olympic restaurants, but could introduce more claims the report.
Samsung fares better than most. One of its official Olympics phones, the SGH-F268, contains no hazardous chemicals and is the first ‘green phone’ to be marketed at the Olympics and across China.
After Greenpeace lobbying, the Korean giant has pledged to bring forward plans to phase-out polluting contaminants from its phones by one year, to 2009.
"While Samsung is setting a precedent for the Olympics, its commitment is not flawless. SGH-F268 is only one of the three models at the Olympics. The other two are not PVC- and BFR-free."
Hardest hit by Greenpeace is Yili, one of China's largest dairy producers. The company ignored Greenpeace's attempts to discuss its use of climate-changing HFCs altogether.
For the full report, go to
greenpeace.org/raw/content/china/en/reports/sponsors.pdf.
Greenpeace scrutinises 'greenness' of Olympic sponsors
BEIJING - Ahead of what has been billed as a 'green Olympics', Greenpeace has slammed a number of key sponsors of the Games for their environmental commitment.
