Will Beijing's 'green Olympics' really be green?

Solar panels on hillsides at Xuanhua in Zhangjiakou, one of the host cities for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, in China's northern Hebei province. Photos: Greg Baker/AFP

China wants to use the Beijing Winter Olympics to showcase its green credentials but there are concerns over the environmental cost of a Games relying on artificial snow in one of the driest places in the country.

It is difficult to independently verify Beijing's claims around the Games, which begin on Feb 4, and environmentalists told AFP they fear a backlash from authorities if they analyse Beijing's green targets.