After supplying solar systems to several 2014 FIFA World Cup stadiums in Brazil, Yingli Green Energy plans to become the first ever carbon neutral sponsor of the game. It plans to offset all carbon emissions arising from its promotional activities in Brazil as part of its mission to help make the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil the greenest in history.

Yingli Green Energy supports 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and plans to become the first carbon neutral sponsor of the event. (Photo Credit: Yingli Green Energy)

Yingli plans to have a carbon neutral footprint for all of the company's promotional events and activities on-site in Brazil during the FIFA World Cup, including all solar powered stadiums, commercial displays, customer hospitality, media activities, and employee travel and accommodation. To achieve carbon neutrality, Yingli has:

• Supplied over 5,000 Yingli solar panels and nearly 30 off-grid solar energy systems to help power matches at multiple FIFA World Cup stadiums;
• Partnered with ClimatePartner, an independent, certified environmental agency, to accurately calculate and verify emissions data for the duration of Yingli's sponsorship activation in Brazil;
• Committed to investing in carbon emission reduction certificates that are generated by a local Brazilian project, and that are certified by the Bureau Veritas Certification Holding SAS.

"Sustainability is one of the key tenants in our vision for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Environmental initiatives such as the one presented by our sponsor Yingli today are contributing to increasing the positive impact of the FIFA World Cup on society and the environment. We are grateful to Yingli and their local partners for helping us leave a lasting legacy in Brazil," said FIFA's Head of Corporate Social Responsibility Federico Addiechi. 

"By becoming history's first carbon neutral sponsor of the FIFA World Cup, Yingli is honoring its commitment to our environment and to our planet," noted Mr. Liansheng Miao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yingli Green Energy. "As a company whose products and mission are deeply intertwined with sustainability issues, we are dedicated to reducing the ecological impact of all aspects of our business operations, including our highly visible and pervasive marketing activities."

Yingli plans to host a press conference on June 27th in Rio de Janeiro to provide an update on its progress towards achieving carbon neutrality for the FIFA World Cup, as a well as issue a statement after the tournament's conclusion to report on the program's results.