No doubt FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be an outstanding sporting event in many ways including sustainability. Due to its compact nature, environmentally-friendly construction of infrastructure, green transport etc, the event will leave a glowing legacy for sporting events in years to come.
In a recent development, Al Thumama Stadium, one of the eight FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 venues, has been awarded a Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) five-star rating.
The ‘gahfiya’ inspired stadium, inaugurated last year for the Amir Cup final, received five stars for its design and build and a Class A* certificate for construction management.
The sustainability rating further highlights Qatar’s commitment to delivering a carbon-neutral World Cup, as Al Bayt and Education City stadiums also have five-star ratings. Al Janoub Stadium and the Khalifa International Stadium have been granted GSAS certificates with four stars. Qatar 2022 will be the most compact FIFA World Cup in modern history. All eight stadiums are close together, with the longest distance between venues just 75km (Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor to Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah).
To limit the carbon footprint, all Qatar 2022 projects implemented measures to organise waste segregation and management during the construction phase. Stadium sites diverted solid waste through recycling. For instance, the majority of waste generated at Al Janoub Stadium (90%) and Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium (84%) was recycled during construction.
Through partnering with Qatar Green Building Council, Qatar 2022 is promoting green practices in the hotel sector by reducing the sector’s environmental impact and capitalising on efficient and responsible hotel operations. Also as part of the tournament’s green legacy, tree planting constituted a major aspect of stadium design and planning. With native trees and plants in stadium parklands and precincts, a campaign to ‘green’ the country has been an opportunity to significantly reduce carbon emissions and leave behind a green legacy for future generations.
FIFA and Qatar launched the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Sustainability Progress Report in January this year. According to the report, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Sustainability Strategy was developed by collaborating with the tournament’s primary delivery partners. It sets out the joint sustainability objectives and associated initiatives to address the critical sustainability issues identified for the tournament under five pillars: human, social, economic, environmental, and governance.
By implementing the strategy, a sustainable and lasting legacy will be felt for many years after the final whistle and contribute to both FIFA’s vision and Qatar’s national development goals.
