Admired worldwide, Australia?s natural environment, sporting culture and relaxed lifestyle were among the pillars that supported Sydney?s bid for the 2000 Games. Still, these and other attributes needed to be strongly emphasised to secure the Olympic bid, particularly from the much-favoured city, Beijing. The development of an ambitious environmental program, known as 'green Games 2000', enabled Australia to offer the first eco-friendly Games. Capitalising on the knowledge of environmental experts, combined with the environmental concerns within the International Olympic Committee, the notion of a ?Green Games? provided the thrust necessary to win Sydney the 2000 Olympic Games. The five key environmental areas ? water conservation, waste avoidance and minimisation, pollution avoidance, and the protection of significant natural and cultural environments ? influenced most aspects of Games operations. Most significantly, the agenda instilled change within local industry, encouraging builders and contractors to develop new work practices that would endure after the Games. The legacies of these green Games are also apparent in the objects and documentation remaining from the Games. A sample of this material is preserved in the Sydney 2000 Games Collection at the Powerhouse Museum where it highlights current eco-design, and the environmental face of both the Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games.