Green legacy of hosting sports events – reflections from a FIFA World Cup . By interacting with fans, creating science-based goals, and incorporating a diversity, equity, and inclusion focus into environmental programs, major tournaments may reduce their carbon impact.
Sports, whether played recreationally or professionally, are influenced by the environment. All forms of sport will face problems as a result of more erratic winter seasons, hotter summers, and more “wild weather.”
The FIFA World Cup 2022 organizers have carried out an ambitious sustainability program, with the environmental segment concentrating on climate action, sustainable building, circularity, water, and air quality. Some of the highlights of the program, which covered both the preparations and the event itself, are as follows:
Green legacy of hosting sports events – reflections from a FIFA World Cup
Prior to the event, a large-scale solar power facility covering 10 km2 was inaugurated.
All garbage generated during stadium events is recycled, composted, or used as energy
beverages offered in stadiums in bottles made of recycled plastic (rPET)
The majority of peak demand for electricity is met by the grid, reducing the need for many on-site diesel generators.
stadiums that have received green building certification and have LED lighting, energy-efficient building systems, and water efficiency throughout.
An ISO20121-certified sustainability management system, which outlined the program’s governance, was used to implement the program. This system made sure that the program was being delivered with the proper policies, practices, and resources.
There are a lot of sports that have a significant global following and football is one of them (soccer). The FIFA World Cup, the premier event for men’s football, attracts interest from even those who are not typically football fans.
A big workforce is needed to deliver the FIFA World Cup, and each member must receive training and orientation. This offered a fresh chance to spread environmental consciousness. Mandatory environmental sustainability training was provided to the entire workforce.
The environmental program was created to increase public awareness, support the event, and hasten the country’s progress toward the objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
The event owner, the local organizing committee, and the local government organization of the host country collaborated to establish and implement the environmental program for the event in the spirit of UN SDG #17, “Partnerships for the Goals.” The collaborative approach to the program allowed for a better focus on the legacy and preparations while also allowing for more effective during the event itself.
When creating an environmental program for events, it is imperative to keep legacy in mind. If the environmental legacy aids in the development of national, regional, or local strategies, it can be most productive. A sense of ownership over the legacy following the event will result from the consultation and involvement of stakeholders in the host nations or host city government throughout the creation of the environmental program, which will result in more successful programs during the event itself.
New green infrastructure, including electric buses and renewable energy installations, might be the prize. It might also be in the general public’s understanding of environmental issues as well as in the environmental knowledge and stewardship of thousands of experts.
Despite the fact that there are several ways to improve the planning and delivery of environmental programs for sporting events, we would like to focus on three possibilities for creative event organizers to consider further:
closer interaction with fans and an expansion of awareness-raising efforts to include environmental program co-creation. Sports enthusiasts are already quite invested in and concerned with events. Giving fans a voice during development gives you a chance to connect with your audience on a deeper level. Sports fans are frequently a cross-section of the community, deeply committed to the success of the event, and frequently acutely aware of the environmental issues an event faces.
There are currently programs for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at many events with the goal of promoting more equitable participation in the event. We are curious to see how a DEI lens might improve the planning of an event’s environmental programming. In order to leverage the power of international events to safeguard the environment in weaker countries, there is potential to create environmental initiatives with participants from the global south. At regional gatherings, the emphasis can be on discovering local traditional knowledge and environmental protection tenets.
