Yingli Green Energy (Yingli Solar) hosted a press conference in Rio de Janeiro to announce its plans to leave a sustainable legacy in Brazil. These plans include becoming the first ever carbon neutral sponsor of the FIFA World Cup, and supplying 400 to 600 kW for a solar legacy project in Brazil that is expected to be among the largest solar energy systems in the country.

Yingli supplies solar panels to several statiums in Brazil for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. (Photo Credit: Yingli Green Energy)

Yingli has been working with FIFA in order to leave solar legacies in the host countries of the FIFA World Cup competition since 2010, when the company became the first renewable energy sponsor and the first Chinese sponsor. Yingli provided customized solar solutions to 20 "Football for Hope" centers all over Africa through the "Football for Hope, Energy for Hope" program, focused on improving the social environment for disadvantaged children in Africa even post FIFA World Cup.

This year, Yingli plans to continue its tradition of leaving a sunny legacy by becoming the first carbon neutral sponsor in FIFA World Cup history, and by developing one of the largest solar energy installations in Brazil, a project chosen jointly by FIFA and Yingli as an official CSR project of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

To become carbon neutral, Yingli is offsetting all carbon emissions generated through its onsite sponsorship activations in Brazil for the tournament's duration. The company has invested in carbon emissions reductions certificates generated by two factories operating via biomass in the Caatinga region of Alagoas in Brazil, thereby helping prevent deforestation and protect Brazil's valuable biodiversity.

"Sustainability is one of the key tenants in our vision for the 2014 FIFA World Cup," pointed Mr. Addiechi from FIFA.

"Our solar legacy project will not only be an important legacy of the FIFA World Cup, but it will also be a boon to the country's emerging solar energy industry," added Mr. Vlasits from Yingli.