FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: New report disclaims carbon neutrality
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Despite claims that it will be the first football World Cup to do so, the tournament will not achieve a net-zero carbon footprint, the report says.
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FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: New report disclaims carbon neutrality
Carbon Market Watch revealed, in a new report, that FIFA and Qatar's claims that the 2022 World Cup will be carbon neutral involve "creative accounting" and are "misleading".
Despite claims that it will be the first football World Cup to do so, the tournament will not achieve a net-zero carbon footprint, the report added.
The calculations, according to the researchers, "ignore major sources of emissions."
Organizers said in a statement that drawing conclusions about their commitment was "speculative and inaccurate."
In September, organizers detailed their plans to host the first "carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup in the event's history."
They emphasized the tournament's compact nature, the use of renewable energy at the eight stadiums, and the use of solar power in the country during the World Cup.
On its account, FIFA claims it has "never misled its stakeholders."
The report's author Gilles Dufrasne says the carbon neutrality claim "is simply not credible".
He also added that "despite a lack of transparency, the evidence suggests that the emissions from this World Cup will be considerably higher than expected by the organizers, and the carbon credits being purchased to offset these emissions are unlikely to have any positive impact on the climate."
According to a FIFA report released in June, the 2022 World Cup could generate up to 3.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, which is more than some countries produce in a year.
The Qatar World Cup has not only been criticized for ‘problematic’ carbon footprint promises, but human rights pressures also mount ahead of the event.
The focus on Qatar's human rights issue returned when Amnesty International demanded that FIFA set up a $440 million fund for abused foreign laborers. Since it was granted holding the World Cup in 2010, Qatar has spent some $300 billion on infrastructure around the World Cup. In addition to seven stadiums, some of the money was allocated to 2.5 million foreign workers. People are pressuring Qatar to do more before November 21, when the first ball will be kicked.
Women's rights are a lot more of a sensitive issue than migrant rights due to the traditional social grounds of Qatari society. It wasn't until 2020 that women had been able to get a driver's license without permission from a male guardian. However, women in Qatar still need permission from male guardians to marry, travel, and work in governmental jobs.
Simultaneously, the 2022 World Cup is the most controversial in FIFA history, as Qatar has also faced accusations of vote-buying ever since its naming 12 years ago in 2010 and questions over its suitability for hosting the World Cup due to authorities' violations of human rights.
