"Climate change and offsetting carbon dioxide emissions are high priorities for the Turin Winter Games," Ugo Pretato, the Torino Olympic Organising Committee (TOROC) head of Environmental Programs, told an international sports conference today.

He said TOROC had set out plans to offset an equivalent of over 10O,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from transport and the operation of Olympic venues during the February 10-26 games with funds from the Piedmont Regional government and the Pinerolo town council to finance renewable energy and sustainable energy projects.

TOROC employees he said will generate an estimated 500kg of greenhouse gases during the Games which will be offset by buying 10 euros worth of carbon credits linked with a reafforestation project in Mexico; renewable energy projects in India and Sri Lanka and an energy efficiency scheme in Eritrea.

Delegates at the conference co-hosted by the UN Environmental Program (UNEP) and the International Olympic Committee hailed the Torino sustainability report as a milestone in the quest to make mass spectator events both entertaining and environmentally sound.