Sao Paulo, Brazil, September 27, 2012
—IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, announced that 100 Brazilian hotels are now participating in the IFC-supported Pro-Hotels Program, which seeks to develop the market for reducing energy consumption in Brazil’s growing hospitality industry. The program is made possible with funding from the Government of Canada and aims to reach an additional 200 hotels by 2014.
IFC is providing advisory services equivalent to $300,000 to the program, made possible because of the government of Canada's instrumental contribution, which makes the financing package viable. The program is part of the IFC-Canada Climate Change Program, which supports sustainable growth in Brazil’s hotel sector and backs other initiatives that help mitigate climate change through private sector projects in emerging markets.
The 100 hotels that have joined Pro-Hotels Program so far will save approximately 57,000 megawatt hours per year—enough energy to power 75,000 homes. The program aims to develop and expand the energy-efficiency market in the Brazilian hotel sector by stimulating the growth of companies providing energy-efficiency services, known as ESCOs (Energy Service Companies), and by supporting hotels committed to reducing energy consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions.
“The global challenge of climate change requires a global solution, and Canada is proud to support environmental efforts such as these,” said Canada’s Environment Minister, the Honorable Peter Kent.
With more than 13,000 hotels in Brazil, the hotel sector presents significant opportunities for energy-efficiency solutions. The country expects to receive over 11 million tourists by 2020, growing by an impressive 92 percent from 2008.
“There is huge potential for energy savings of 30 percent to 80 percent with the implementation of appropriate systems to manage water and energy consumption,” said Rodrigo Aguiar, Director of the Pro-Hotels Program. “Such improvements can increase the net income of a hotel by up to 25 percent and contribute to climate-change mitigation by decreasing emissions of greenhouse gases.”
Each participating hotel receives support to identify opportunities for reducing energy use and greenhouse emissions. This includes access to a full range of more efficient technologies, products, and services available in the Brazilian market and distributed by Pro-Hotels’ qualified suppliers. The program also facilitates access to lines of credit for hotels wishing to purchase these systems, and technical assistance from a network of participating ESCOs spread throughout the country.
“With the Pro-Hotels Program, we are establishing benchmarks in terms of energy efficiency that can be used by the entire hotel sector,” said Loy Pires, IFC Country Head in Brazil. “Our ultimate goal is not only to improve energy use in the hotel industry, but also to use our experience from the program to expand to other sectors in the country, such as hospitals and retail, as well as to other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
About the IFC-Canada Climate Change Program
The IFC-Canada Climate Change Program promotes private sector financing for clean energy projects. Canada’s financing to IFC for this program is part of its overall fast-start financing contribution for 2010–2011. Under the Copenhagen Accord, developed countries committed to provide fast-start financing of almost $30 billion for 2010–2012 to support climate-change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries. As part of Canada’s commitment to support climate change action in developing countries, Canada is contributing $1.2 billion Canadian dollars in new and additional climate-change financing over three years (fiscals 2010–2013).
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. We help developing countries achieve sustainable growth by financing investment, providing advisory services to businesses and governments, and mobilizing capital in the international financial markets. In fiscal 2011, amid economic uncertainty across the globe, we helped our clients create jobs, strengthen environmental performance, and contribute to their local communities—all while driving our investments to an all-time high of nearly $19 billion. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
.
About PHP
Launched in November 2011, the Pro-Hotels Program (PHP) supports the modernization of lodging facilities through the implementation of energy-efficiency and sustainability practices as well as improved technologies. The program also offers financing advice, through partnerships and agreements with financial institutions in Brazil and abroad, to help define the type of financing and funding options that are most suitable for the implementation of energy-efficiency projects. PHP’s goal is to enroll 300 hotels by 2014, the year of the Soccer World Cup in Brazil. The program intends to help save a total of $65 million per year through the improved and more efficient use of electricity, gas, and water. More information is available at
www.programaee.com.br
.
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