Why Qatar’s Sustainability Claims for the 2022 World Cup Are Being Questioned

Qatar has now reportedly built seven of its eight World Cup stadiums, a new metro system, highways, high-rises, and Lusail, a new ‘futuristic’ city.

Source: ABC News In-depth/YouTube

Qatar promised for years that this World Cup could be carbon neutral, but these claims seem problematic, at the least. They, for one, have put air conditioning in 7 stadiums that don’t have domes.

In a report of the estimated event emissions, FIFA and the organizers in Qatar projected that the World Cup would produce around 3.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from activities related to the event between 2011 and 2023. Even though the event was moved to the winter to avoid the heat, they still will air condition seven stadiums that don’t have a roof to keep the cool air in. For water, they will use desalination plants.

According to FIFA and Qatar, the largest source of emissions will be travel from teams, spectators, and all involved. The report claims that 52 percent of the emissions will come from travel, and 25 percent will come from the construction of the stadiums and training sites and their operations. They also reported that operating the hotels and other accommodations will be responsible for 20 percent.

Carbon Market Watch, however, says that the figures that FIFA and Qatar pushed out don’t paint the full picture. Carbon Market Watch works to ensure that carbon markets and other carbon mitigation tools contribute to the fight against Climate change while keeping human rights in mind. The company says that Qatar vastly underestimated the emissions from building the seven stadiums. They reportedly did this by dividing the emissions from all that concrete and steel used in production by the lifespan of the facilities in years when they should have totaled them for a more accurate number.

In addition to the many problematic sustainability claims, many are boycotting the event in protest of human rights and environmental abuse in Qatar. Paris recently joined several other French cities in announcing they will not broadcast matches of the World Cup.

Related Content:

• Paris Joins Other Cities in Boycotting World Cup to Protest Human and Environmental Abuses in Qatar
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• Mercedes-Benz Called Out for Greenwashing Ads and Lying About Sustainability
• How Companies Like Coca-Cola Are Greenwashing Over Plastic Packaging
• McDonald’s Net Zero Location Accused of Greenwashing

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