Mayor Boris Johnson Monday (outlined) plans to make London "the cleanest, greenest city on Earth" by the 2012 Olympics and called for commitments from other world (cities) at a climate change conference.
Leaders of the world's 40 largest cities are meeting in Seoul this week for a (summit) on combating global warming - the third to be held since 2005.
"What we should do in Seoul is agree that we will stop the (endless) addiction of mankind to the internal combustion engine," said Johnson.
He told a press conference the world's cities consume 75 (percent) of its energy and produce 80 percent of the emissions which cause (climate) change.
"The problem of our planet is an (urban) problem," Johnson said, calling for "serious results" in Seoul.
He said the British capital (wants) to use the Olympics "to drive the greening and the improvement of our city" and noted that London is committed to (reduce) carbon emissions by 60 percent by 2025.
Johnson said the key measure was addressing the problems relating to (domestic) and commercial buildings, which accounted for 70 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in London.
This involved retrofitting - installing lagging - in large (numbers) of public buildings.
Johnson proclaimed himself a "passionate cyclist" and said he (would) push ahead with cycle super-highways around London.
London's air quality problem, he said, was (caused) by vehicle emissions from 8,300 antiquated diesel buses, which could be replaced (by) low-carbon vehicles.
There were also 32,000 taxis running on diesel (fuel), which could be replaced by electric vehicles. Johnson said there would be a substantial program in the next few years to (produce) a "cleaner, greener" bus for his city. "The age of the diesel-emitting bus (has) got to be over in London."
Question)
1. Do you support a cleaner and greener London for 2012 Olympics?
2. What does an Olympic games really mean to the world?
