The challenges for a Sustainable World Cup in Qatar

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is approaching, and with it, the host country's commitments to the tournament are becoming more urgent, but not just to guarantee quality games for football lovers.

Historically, events like the World Cup interfere with the global climate scenario, as they require significant infrastructure to happen. For each World Cup, it is necessary to build new stadiums for the matches, hotels to welcome tourists, and even develop logistics for the increased number of flights arriving in the host country. With so much significant movement in favor of the tournament, it is natural that the planet ends up being impacted.

Considering this scenario, in 2020, FIFA set the challenge of making the Qatar World Cup the first 100% carbon-neutral edition in history. Consequently, Qatar promised to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide, emitted as a result of the event.

Check out below what the exact sustainable initiatives implemented were and how the country has managed to move toward the goal of neutralizing its carbon emissions.

Sustainability in Qatar

According to Bodour Al Meer, sustainability executive director for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, in an interview with Globo Esporte in August 2022, “We had a five-step planning for a carbon-neutral World Cup. We raised a major concern with stakeholders, explaining our needs.

We sought to mitigate, reduce, and eliminate emissions as much as possible. We hired a consultancy to produce a report. And whatever cannot be avoided in the project, we will offset with carbon credits.” The committee's main objectives for sustainability were:

• The construction of training centers, hotels, and, above all, sustainable stadiums.

• Measuring, mitigating, and offsetting greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.

• Monitoring pollution stemming from transportation and in areas impacted by event structures.

• Reducing waste generation and increasing garbage recycling.

• Saving water consumption inside the event facilities.

However, even though the promises made are encouraging, it is important to remember that Qatar is the nation with the highest CO₂ emission rate per capita in the world, according to data recorded during the 18th Conference of the Parties. This means that, no matter how noble it is to establish such goals in favor of mitigating negative impacts, it will not be a simple task.

The Qatar World Cup organizing committee's estimate is that the event will cause the emission of 3.6 million megatons of CO₂ into the atmosphere. The calculation is based on the GHG Protocol, an international benchmark for measuring greenhouse gas emissions.

Thus, the projected goals serve as a means to mitigate these emissions and offset them as much as possible. Below, check out some initiatives carried out so that these goals can be achieved.

Sustainable Proposals at the World Cup

Stadiums

All stadiums to be used in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar were built to be efficient, both in their energy and water consumption and in their structure. Some of them were even built in a way that they can be disassembled after the World Cup ends.

This is the case of the Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, the first fully dismantlable stadium in the history of the FIFA World Cup, whose structural components will be used to create other sports projects in Qatar later on.

Mobility

Another major focus of Qatar's investment to promote sustainability at the World Cup was urban mobility. The government built from scratch an entirely new metro system connecting all host cities that features regenerative braking.

This technology considerably reduces fuel consumption and generates less soot, in addition to increasing the lifespan of machine parts.

Charging stations were also built at key points in the city. The goal is to encourage fans, the press, and the local population to get around using electric means of transport (which are less harmful to the environment) such as bicycles, scooters, cars, and even buses.

Tree Planting

One of the measures already put into practice was the construction of a large nursery around the stadiums and other public spaces in the city. Beyond its decorative nature, the planting of more than 16,000 trees and 679,000 shrubs of local species aims to offset greenhouse gas emissions during and after the event.  

Investments in Solar Energy

Among the structural mobilizations for the tournament, it is worth highlighting the development of a 10km² and 800MW solar power plant which, alongside five other electricity substations, will supply the stadiums during the Cup. Once the games are over, the plant will continue operating, leaving a legacy of carbon emission reduction and clean energy for the region.

Keeping an Eye on the Challenge

It is undeniable that concern over the impact caused to the planet's climate by grand events like the World Cup can be considered a substantial advance. However, it is also inevitable to consider the climatic consequences that would be spared if none of these major construction works and movements were even put in place.

One way or another, this 2022 World Cup in Qatar will have worldwide attention, whether for its pioneering sustainable initiatives or for the football played on the pitch. And without a doubt, both fans and enthusiasts of environmental projects will see up close to what extent their expectations will be met!  

If you own a company and, like Qatar, want to take on the challenge of putting more conscious choices into practice for the planet's future, neutralizing your business's carbon footprint, click the link on the side and see how you can save money with the Free Energy Market!

Additionally, to neutralize CO₂ emissions from your company's energy consumption, we offer I-RECs (International Renewable Certificates). Click and check out more about it!