Rio 2016 makes low-carbon pledge

Eco-friendly initiatives will cut greenhouse gas emissions by 500,000 tons during the Rio 2016 Olympics, Games organisers said.

The pledge Tuesday came as Rio's 2016 organising committee announced Dow Chemical Company as its official carbon partner and member of its Embrace Sustainability programme, reports Xinhua.

Under terms of the agreement, Dow will invest in new technologies to help reduce harmful emissions and improve energy efficiency in Brazilian industry.

"Responsibility for the management of our carbon emissions is a commitment from the Games' bid," said Rio 2016 spokeswoman Tania Braga.

"Additionally, the technologies being implemented will create a legacy for strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. This is a big challenge, but I'm confident that we'll achieve our goals with the most comprehensive carbon mitigation program in the history of the Olympic Games."

Dow also implemented sustainability initiatives for the Vancouver 2010, London 2012 and Sochi 2014 Olympics.