greenpassport

media type="custom" key="27914489" align="right"Green Passport
related: unep, rio de janeiro [|http://www.passaporteverde.org.br] [] [] [] [|@passaporte2016]
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Media Release

 * [|Responsible Travel to Olympic Games in Rio Made Easier with the New Green Passport]**

Rio de Janeiro, 15 October 2015 – A special edition of the "Green Passport", launched today by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, introduces travelers to sustainable routes and activities in Brazil, enabling them to explore the country responsibly.

The campaign includes an online platform and a mobile app with tips on reducing the environmental impact while travelling and choosing sustainable routes during holidays. In addition to the updated road maps, the Green Passport offers 80 scripts developed for the 2014 Football World Cup in partnership with the tourism and environment departments of the host cities of that tournament.

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said, "This campaign promotes the idea of a more responsible and greener travel culture. With the number of potential visitors to Rio next year, it is important that we see travel attitudes and practices that simultaneously respect the environment and support social and economic development in Brazil. The Green Passport is the travel document that millions of visitors to the 2016 Olympics will need to make their trip more sustainable.”

The Green Passport is a part of the Sustainable Production and Consumption strategy realized by UNEP in Brazil. To UNEP's Representative in the country, Denise Hamú, the campaign leverages the global relevance of the tourism sector to encourage responsible practices among consumers and businesses. "The industry is responsible for about 10 per cent of world's GDP and has an important role both in generating social and environmental impacts, and as a tool for developing a low-carbon economy", she said.

A series of workshops and online lectures will be held by the campaign organizers in order to prepare local businesses for adopting eco-efficiency and environmental responsibility criteria. The updated campaign also ventures into new territories, addressing issues such as accessibility and protection of children and adolescents.

To the president of the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, the city of Rio de Janeiro will be the heart of the world in 2016 thanks to the Olympic Games. "So we will engage the society to take care of our city as if it were their second home," he said.

History
The campaign was launched in 2008 as a partnership between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Brazilian Ministries of Environment and of Tourism, the French Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and other partners. Currently adopted in several countries, including Costa Rica, Ecuador and South Africa, the campaign is already an international benchmark in disseminating information on sustainable tourism.

In 2014, UNEP, in partnership with the Brazilian Ministries of Environment, of Sports and of Tourism, launched a special edition of the Green Passport campaign for the Football World Cup in Brazil. The special version updated the language and media used in the campaign, providing a communication platform for the tourists and the tourism sector, which included a website, a smartphone app and a campaign strategy on social networks. The Green Passport 2014 compiled 60 sustainable itineraries in the 12 host cities of the World Cup, offering tourists the opportunity to comment and share experiences during the competition.

Priscilla Castro, UNEP News and Media in Brazil Carla Burle, Media Relations - Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games