The World Wildlife Federation (WWF) made a statement Tuesday, calling for athletes aiming to compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympics to pay for the environmental cost of their flights.

With just 500 days until the 2008 Games, the global environmental conservation organization has encouraged athletes to train for "energy gold" by purchasing carbon emission credits on the international market to offset the carbon cost of their travel.

Long-distance flights are responsible for two percent of the world's carbon emissions every year, which have been cited as a major cause of global warming.

The Beijing Olympics is expected to attract 10,000 athletes and on average each athlete will cause the release of around four tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, according to the WWF.

The organization is developing a "carbon calculator" for participants planning to travel to the Games. Using this, they will be able to enter their journey details to calculate the relevant CO2 emissions and their donation would be used in energy efficiency projects like wind farms and solar power stations, said Dermot O'Gorman, WWF’s China representative.

Prices for one emission credit (the equivalent of one ton of carbon dioxide emissions) range from five to twenty euros. A flight from Paris to Beijing would emit around 2,000 kg of CO2 for an economy flight with a modest amount of luggage, according to the WWF.

"We want athletes to inspire people to make their air travel more environmentally friendly and it (the donation) gives them the opportunity to contribute toward a healthier planet and a healthier Olympic Games," said O'Gorman.

(Xinhua News Agency March 28, 2007)