Biodiesel will be the official fuel of the World Soccer Cup asserts the Minister of sports

Initiative will be officially launched in August

The announcement was done today (27), during a meeting in Brasília (DF) by Minister of Sports, Aldo Rebelo, who received a team of businessmen and representatives of the biodiesel sector. The chief executive officer of BSBIOS and president of the Association of Biodiesel Producers of Brazil (APROBIO), Erasmo Carlos Battistella, and the president of the Parliamentary Front of Biodiesel, Federal Representative, Jerônimo Goergen, were also present at the occasion. The objective of the audience was to discuss about the use of the Brazilian biodiesel (B100) in the host cities of the World Cup, in vehicles that will transport the athletes and fans during the World Soccer Cup and Olympic Games of 2016.

The team presented the hybrid bus that is moved through electricity and biodiesel, and that will start to ride in the streets of the Paranaense capital in August of this year. The Hibribus, as it is known, is the most efficient bus in the market and it offers environmental gain, thus it pollutes 90% less, consumes less and emits less noise.

The Minister was totally receptive to the suggestion of the team in using biodiesel during the World Soccer Championship promoted by the Soccer International Federation (FIFA) in Brazil in 2014. "The Ministry of Sports will make efforts so that Biodiesel is used for transportation in the World Cup, because besides soccer, sustainability will be also a contribution from Brazil to the world", emphasized Rebelo.

The sport event will adopt a strategy of sustainability that was developed by FIFA and but the Local Organizing Committee (COL), which aims at not only reducing negative impacts, but also maximizing positive effects of a World Championship. Green stadiums, residues handling, support to the community, reduction and compensation of carbon emissions, renewable energies, climate change and development of capacities are some of the important themes that will be approached within the next two years. FIFA will dedicate a total investment of approximately US$ 20 million for the implementation of this strategy.

The chief executive officer of BSBIOS and APROBIO seemed to be very satisfied with the result of the encounter. "This will be a world mark to the sector, and the society still have the greatest benefit, because it will have cleaner and pure air to breath," asserted Battistella. The World Cup shall be remembered not only as a fantastic soccer championship, but also because of its environmental and social lasting legacy.

The benefits to the environment, to human health and public health policies are proved by statute of Foundation Getúlio Vargas (FGV). If we increase the current 5% of mixture to 10%, as it is expected to 2020 by the sector, the carbon dioxide emission will reduce 8%. With 20% mixed, it would fall 12%. And, this would reflect in the reduction of hospitalizations because of respiratory problems and, also it would save lives.

Battistella highlighted that Brazil has 63 plants of biodiesel installed, which are able to meet the demand through the supplying of the fuel in the Confederations Cup in 2013. The sector employs around 1.3 million people in the whole country.

From now on, a team of the ministry will form a team work to build the norms to implement this measure. In August, the Minister must launch this initiative in Curitiba (PR), capital that is the example of green consciousness and where the hybrid bus system will be running already.

Since 2009, the city keeps the Linha Verde, a path of urban collective transportation with 32 articulated buses which use 100% of biodiesel. The route has been enlarged so that until the end of the year there are more than 80 vehicles operating this way.