From the start sustainability has been the top priority for the organisers of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as a number of strategies were adopted and initiatives launched in the last many years to make the mega sporting event the most sustainable tournament.
From the construction of stadiums to adopting eco-friendly transportation, all measures are meant to have minimum impact on the environment in the times when climate change has become a serious threat to the world.
Recently, FIFA and Qatar launched the ‘FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Sustainability Progress Report’. The report describes how FIFA and Qatar are delivering against the 79 initiatives of the sustainability strategy. In particular, as the tournament organisers transitioned from the construction phase to tournament operations over the last 18 months, a number of benchmarks have been set along with some key highlights, including key labour reforms were passed by the Qatari government.
Besides, a greenhouse gas emissions inventory has been published, and the first voluntary carbon-offsetting programme in the Middle East was introduced to help deliver the first fully carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup. The Doha metro network has been fully operational since 2019. It will help reduce road congestion, air, and noise pollution, connect stadiums with popular visitor destinations, audio-descriptive commentary for blind and visually impaired spectators, and a sensory room for spectators with sensory requirements was tested successfully at the FIFA Arab Cup 2021, the report reveals.
Talking to Qatar Radio, Sustainability & Environment Senior Manager at Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) Eng. Bodour Al Meer, has said that all stadiums, venues of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, are eco-friendly as they are 30 percent energy and 40 percent water consumption efficient.
She said that recycled materials have been used in building these stadiums. For example, she said, 30 percent recycled materials used in building Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium are from the old stadium.
On eco-friendly transportation to curb carbon footprint, she said that the since all stadiums are in close proximity so they will contribute greatly in reducing the carbon emission caused by the domestic aviation compared to the previous FIFA World Cups.
No doubt that Qatar 2022 will be the most compact FIFA World Cup in modern history. All the 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).
