Madrid 2012 hopes the Mediterranean Games which opened Friday in Almeria will boost Madrid 2012’s Summer Olympic Games.
The Mediterranean Games will feature more than 4,000 athletes from 21 countries bordering the Mediterranean. Europe has 14 countries taking part, Africa has five countries and Asia two.
Spain’s King Juan Carlos joined International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge and former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch for the opening ceremony Friday and Madrid’s Mayor is also in Almeria.
Madrid 2012 bid organizers said, “the Spanish Olympic Committee counts on the success of this competition as an important guarantee to present to the IOC members who will decide the host city for the 2012 Olympic Games”.
Meanwhile Greenpeace is supporting the “100 per cent Renewable Energies” project of Madrid’s 2012 bid, which was included in its bid book.
Juan Lopez Uralde, Greenpeace Spain Executive Director said “the commitment of Madrid 2012 with renewable energies is taking shape” and that the “Madrid 2012 Preliminary Energetic Plan” document, “is a clear approach to the energetic efficiency and the renewable energies which marks a very good precedent”.
He added that he is sure the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will involve “a great chance to definitely encourage clean energy in Madrid, in the whole Spain and also on a global level”.
Madrid’s Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon said that the city of Madrid “has formulated a long-term plan which gathers together high technology, investigation, development and innovation applied to the fight against climate change, energetic inefficiency and the massive utilization of limited resources”.
The plan is based on seven general criterions: own and nearby supply as the energy source, diversification of renewable sources, competitive edge and demonstration, distributed electricity generation, co-generation and district heating and cooling, minimum impact in the Olympic zone, and integration to the environment.
