The Dow Chemical Company has strengthened its involvement in the Olympics by becoming the ‘official carbon partner’ of the Rio 2016 summer Games in Brazil.
Dow, which is already an Olympic worldwide ‘Top’ partner of the Games, has signed up as the first partner of Rio 2016’s ‘Abraça Sustainability’ program, supporting the organisers to mitigate emissions and achieve one of their sustainability targets. Dow fulfilled a similar role at the 2014 winter Olympic Games earlier this year in Sochi, Russia.
“For Rio 2016, sustainability is an imperative, being present from the early stages of preparation to the delivery and post-Games,” Tânia Braga, head of sustainability for Rio 2016, said. “Responsibility for the management of our carbon emissions is a commitment from the Games’ bid. Additionally, the technologies being implemented will create a legacy for strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. This is a big challenge, but I’m confident that we’ll achieve our goals with the most comprehensive carbon mitigation program in the history of the Olympic Games.”
Dow will mitigate 500,000 tons of CO2 equivalents from organising and hosting the Games through third-party-verified emission reductions. Dow and Rio 2016 will also work to generate an additional 1.5 million tons of CO2 equivalents in climate benefits by 2026.
Rio 2016 chief commercial officer Renato Ciuchini added: “The guiding principle for ‘Abraça’ is to maximise sustainability within the Games. Our actions should be good for the environment, good for people and good for business. The partnership with Dow is fully aligned with our goals and expectations, as it opens doors for different businesses and industries to lower their carbon footprints and ultimately contribute to one of Rio 2016’s key sustainability goals, which is the mitigation of its own emissions.”