An agreement signed this Friday, November 14 2008 made Rio de Janeiro’s proposal to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games even greener. During the 13th Passenger Transport Convention held at the Gloria Marina in Rio de Janeiro, a Protocol of Intent was agreed in order that, in 2016, all buses which transport athletes, journalists, delegations and authorities participating in the Olympic Games will use biodegradable fuel which is a by-product of renewable sources (with 20% biodiesel).

The document was signed by State Transport Secretary Julio Lopes, State Environment Secretary Marilene Ramos and Executive President of the Passenger Transport Companies in Rio de Janeiro, Lélis Teixeira. The project, called Biodiesel Project B20, targets improvement in air quality of the city’s metropolitan region. “The concern with the environment is one of the pillars of the candidacy of Rio de Janeiro. The utilization of biodegradable fuel will be an important legacy and Rio de Janeiro will serve as an example to expand the project to other cities”, said Alexandre Techima, Infrastructure Manager of the Rio 2018 Commission.

Studies will be conducted to define the bus routes which will be employed to test the new fuel. The first routes will be those passing through the four zones of the project Rio 2016: Copacabana, Barra da Tijuca, Deodoro and Maracanã. Supplementary research will also be conducted to experimentally implement Project B20. A total of 1,500 buses will eventually utilize biodegradable fuel. According to Julio Lopes, “This agreement is an advance measure to improve public transport and the quality of life of Cariocas, Rio de Janeiro citizens. It will be a source of great pride to have the Olympic fleet utilizing biofuel”, said the Secretary.