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Austria targets a 'green Euro 2008'

Austria, which is co-hosting the Euro 2008 football tournament with Switzerland, has said that it has made preparations to ensure that the event is as eco-friendly as possible.

The two countries have developed joint strategies to minimise the environmental impact of the sporting event and Austria has invested substantially in green infrastructure.

One of the outcomes of the investment is a brand new stadium in Klagenfurt, which has just been awarded the Green Ball award, an accolade from the Austrian government that recognises environmental protection measures taken in association with Euro 2008.

Worthersee Stadium will use a number of measures to improve its environmental performance, including a solar-heated water system and technology to optimise the control of lighting, ventilation and heating.

Josef Proll, Austria's environment minister, said: "The environment and climate measures introduced by Klagenfurt's Worthersee stadium operators have made a significant contribution to implementation of the sustainability concept."

Euro 2008 will see top international matches being played across Austria and Switzerland, at locations including Vienna, Zurich, Innsbruck and Geneva.

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