News in detail

Apr 2, 2008

MIAMI – Being committed to the conservation of the environment, the German automotive company Audi has been named the Official Automotive Partner of the 49th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors for the Inter-American Development Bank that will take place in Miami between tomorrow and next Tuesday.

For several years now the IDB and Audi have steadily advanced in their attempts to reduce carbon gas emissions.

For the 2008 Annual Meeting that this year will prove to be a carbon neutral event, the company of the four rings will provide a fleet of 63 Audi A6 with 3.2 FSI engines, a state of the art technology that is 15 percent more fuel efficient than conventional engines.

Starting in 2006, the IDB decided to offset or neutralize its own greenhouse gas emissions generated from flights, local travel, accommodation and conference venue for thousands of participants in this annual event by buying carbon credits and helping bring renewable energy solutions to communities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

On its own accord, Audi is going to invest 16.6 billion dollars from 2008 to 2015 in new products, research and development.

One of the most important advances in the pursuit of saving the planet is the Audi A3 1.9 TDI e, which receives 52.3 miles per gallon, with CO2 gas emissions of only 119 grams per kilogram.

“Audi offers the cleanest diesel technology in the world” said Juergen Deforth, General Manager of Audi of Latin America and the Caribbean. “We hope that this technology, which is now available in Europe and will be available in the United States starting next year will also arrive to our market. For this, it is important that the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean are able to commit to offering the same high diesel quality standards that they are exporting to the US and Europe.”

The Annual Meeting of the IDB Board of Governors (the Bank’s highest policymaking body, consisting of finance ministers and central bankers) is the main forum for discussion of political, economic and social development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB Group’s Inter-American Investment Corporation also holds its Governors meeting in conjunction with the IDB.

A gathering of finance ministers that attracts thousands of participants, including high-ranking government officials, bankers, business and civil society leaders, academics and journalists from the IDB’s 47 member countries, the IDB Annual Meeting is a premier forum to identify new opportunities and partnerships to foster development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“It makes great sense for the IDB to convene its most important meeting of the year in Miami,” said IDB president Luis Alberto Moreno. “With its strong ties to Latin America and the Caribbean, no other city in the United States can match Miami as a venue to showcase some of the exciting things that are happening in our region, to discuss its potential and participate in its future.”

The IDB Annual Meeting will feature a series of seminars on issues such as innovation in energy, trade and competitiveness, small and medium-sized businesses and access to credit, and growth and social inclusion. IDB Annual Meetings are held in a different city in a member country every year. The April 4-8, 2008 meeting will be the second held in Miami.

“We are very satisfied because each year we see a bigger commitment from private companies within the causes the IDB carries out.” Said Jorge L. Arrizurieta, President of the Miami Host Committee. “The involvement of Audi fits perfectly with this ecological promise it shares with the IDB.”

World renowned pop artist Romero Britto, named artistic director for the next IDB Annual Meeting, unveiled during the event his theme and the logo he designed for the meetings.

At the entrance of the Miami Beach Convention Center, where the Annual Meeting will take place, the Audi RS4 ‘Art Car’ painted by Britto will be on exhibit.

The IDB is the oldest and largest regional development bank and the main source of multilateral financing in Latin America and the Caribbean. IDB lending and guarantees to Latin America and the Caribbean totaled $6.4 billion in 2006 and more than $140 billion since 1961.