Social Innovation: Yingli Energy, Chinese Solar Panel Company Flies The Flag For The 2014 World Cup

"Football becomes green through its social innovation association with one of its sponsors - Yingli Energy, a Chinese solar panel company that will be part of one of the biggest sporting events in the world. Yingli Energy has once again decided to become the World Cup's first renewable energy partner and help sponsor the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. It will stand alongside big, famous brands such as Coke, McDonald's, Castrol and Budweiser. It is also the Cup's only Chinese sponsor.

Darren Thompson, Managing Director of Yingli Energy, says, "Football is one of the most popular global sports. It cuts across all corners of the world, and all socio-economic groups." Apart from its World Cup connection, the company is also renewable energy partner of the national football federation, US Soccer; German football club team, Bayern Munich; and NFL American Football team the New York Jets. Football helps to raise the profile of Yingli's brand, which enables this social innovation company to reach other countries in Africa and South America where it could make a difference to energy supply problems.

The World Cup signing with Yingli was a key part of its corporate social responsibility and social innovation programme. At the 2006 World Cup in Germany, FIFA (official organisers of the World Cup) first introduced a green concept, around fuel, transportation, waste management and recycling.

In fact, as part of Yingli's own work in Africa, it provided solar panels for a FIFA scheme called "Football for Hope," which provided soccer centres in 20 disadvantaged communities in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Yingli provided the social innovation photovoltaic systems (solar panels composed of a number of solar cells) to the centres, which are used to provide power for pitch floodlighting, laptops, light bulbs, desktop fans, ceiling fans and air conditioning. Yingli is now approaching stadiums in Brazil to see whether it can provide green solar panels for electricity, not just for the World Cup, but as a legacy for the future.

The work of Yingli does not just stop here as this year it created a philanthropic partnership with GRID Alternatives, a not-for-profit solar installer providing renewable energy, energy efficiency services, equipment and training to communities in need in California, U.S. Yingli is working with them to install 1 MW of solar energy systems for 400 low-income families across the state in 2011. These solar projects will generate $10 million worth of renewable energy while eliminating 40,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, the projects will provide hands-on job training in solar PV installation to thousands of individuals looking to enter the solar workforce. The work of Yingli is a world leader in social innovation and solar energy: a rich mix for the future."

Notícia do dia 02-12-2011, pode ser consultada em http://www.justmeans.com/Social-Innovation-Yingli-Energy-Chinese-Solar-Panel-Company-Flies-Flag-for-2014-World-Cup/50895.html

E ainda há quem diga que a China nunca será uma potência mundial. Compraram dívidas de inúmeros países, são milhões, têm um exército imenso, um poder económico inimaginável e estão agora a entrar em actividades e estratégias de marketing típicas de países ocidentais desenvolvidos. É assustador, mas eles chegaram para ficar e dominar.

Postado por Filipa Lelé