OSAKA -- As part of efforts to be named host city of the 2008 Summer Olympics, Osaka unveiled draft guidelines Monday for reducing environmental burdens from the large-scale event.
Municipal officials said during a session of the city's Olympics environment committee that the draft environmental guidelines are based on a concept of coexistence with nature.
The city hopes to adopt the guidelines as early as July after gathering ideas from local citizens and obtaining approval from the assembly.
However, it is uncertain if the guidelines will impress the public that the city is environmentally conscious, because they come at a time when Osaka's attitudes toward environmental issues are being questioned.
The city's careless disposal of soil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl on Yumeshima Island was revealed Saturday. The man-made island is the planned site for the Olympic village.
The guidelines call for building sports facilities, the players' village and transport systems in environmentally friendly ways.
They also aim to raise public awareness of environmental issues by promoting cooperation with nongovernmental organizations engaged in such pursuits.
As concrete measures, the guidelines call for use of natural resources such as solar power and rainwater and channeling heat from burning garbage at the main stadium and swimming pools. The guidelines also call for reusable sports equipment.