BAODING, China and RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, June 27, 2014 (PRNewswire) — Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (NYSE: YGE) (“Yingli Green Energy” or the “Company”), the largest vertically integrated photovoltaic (“PV”) module manufacturer in the world, known as “Yingli Solar,” today hosted a press conference in Rio de Janeiro to announce the Company’s 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.
Judy Lee, Yingli’s Vice President of Global Marketing; Markus Vlasits, Country Manager of Yingli Green Energy Brazil; Thierry Weil, FIFA Director of Marketing; and Federico Addiechi, Head of FIFA Corporate Social Responsibility addressed the media and explained these initiatives at today’s conference.
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. The Company 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. 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,” commented 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,” commented Mr. Vlasits from Yingli. “We are pleased to deliver a high-quality reference project that we hope will drive demand for similar projects across the country.”
“As the world’s largest solar panel provider and renewable energy partner to FIFA, we are proud to utilize our expertise to leave a positive legacy in the host countries of Africa and Brazil,” noted Ms. Lee from Yingli. “We are excited that our joint project with FIFA will continue to serve the community and the environment here in Brazil well after the competition finishes.”
Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (NYSE: YGE), known as “Yingli Solar,” is the world’s largest photovoltaic module manufacturer in terms of production capacity and shipments. Yingli Green Energy’s manufacturing covers the photovoltaic value chain from ingot casting and wafering through solar cell production and module assembly. Headquartered in Baoding, China, Yingli Green Energy has more than 30 regional subsidiaries and branch offices and has distributed more than 9,000 MW PV modules to customers worldwide. For more information, please visit www.yinglisolar.com and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Weibo.
The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), founded in 1904 and based in Zurich, Switzerland, is world football’s governing body, comprising 209 football associations grouped into six confederations. As its claim “For the Game. For the World.” indicates, FIFA’s activities extend far beyond its broad spectrum of international competitions, headed by the FIFA World Cup™. FIFA also provides material, financial and promotional resources for developing the game around the world, and offers underprivileged communities support through the Football for Hope movement. For more information, please visit www.fifa.com/csr.