The larger carbon footprint compared to the 2006 World Cup is related to South Africa's geography and infrastructure... For inter-city transport ... distances between matches in South Africa are much greater than in Germany, and the lack of high speed rail links means most visitors will fly multiple times between matches, leading to much higher transport emissions. For intra-city transport, much of this travel will still be in passenger cars or small buses over long distances, rather than light rail as used in Germany. Energy use in accommodation is higher than for ... 2006, but the assumptions used in this analysis are more realistic. ~ from the Feasibility Study for a Carbon Neutral 2010 FIFA World CupIt is estimated that this year’s World Cup in South Africa will emit 2, 753, 251 tons of CO2 into our atmosphere. That equates to the emissions of around 1 million cars over a year. And it’s a 6 times increase over the last World Cup. And it’s a carbon footprint twice as large as that of the Beijing Olympics. With South Africa being what is known as a “long-haul” destination, international travel for the event will result in the emission of approximately 2,046,539 tons of CO2.
Football (soccer) is probably the most beloved and followed game on Earth, with fans in the millions. Football fans rally to each World Cup for its joy, excitement, patriotism and entertainment. And in doing so, their mass movement from other countries to the host country necessitates transportation, infrastructure creation, accommodation and hospitality improvements, and many other sideline activities that all add up in terms of the ecological and carbon footprint. (And that’s not even accounting for the litter left behind and the plastic used to make the noise-polluting vuvuzelas!)
South Africa has tried to respond to green challenges. It developed a Greening 2010 Framework and a pledge for Green Goal initiatives focused on the environmental issues of waste, transport, water, biodiversity, energy, and responsible tourism. It has purchased many carbon offsets. And a partnership between the Global Environment Fund (GEF), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the South African Department of Environmental Affairs was formed to undertake three major greening projects during the World Cup in South Africa.
So what is FIFA doing to reduce its ecological footprint? FIFA has a green goal program. Upon reading this, however, it quickly becomes clear that FIFA sees eco-responsibility as lying with the host country and anyone else prepared to help the host-country. Reading FIFA’s Mission statement reveals some important and worthy ideals about unity and using football’s power and popularity to help shape a better future for the world. I love that FIFA's core values are authenticity, unity, performance and
integrity. But there is no "sustainability" as a core value, and nothing written about making the most of football's power and popularity to ensure a sustainable future. And surely, a sustainable future is the one most likely to bring about a better future for all, including alleviating poverty, giving every child a chance at a good life, and protecting an environment that sustains us all.
The next World Cup will be in Brazil in 2014, a country that held the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, a country that includes the showcase eco-city Curitiba (where one of the stadia is located). Already costs for doing up the stadia are estimated at $1.1 billion US, with complaints that Brazil's airports won't be able to cope with the influx of tourists expected. Focused on infrastructure development, the Brazilian government has responded by instituting a "growth acceleration program". Renowned for rainforest destruction, and loss of biodiversity, it seems that accelrated development of infrastructure and any purchasing of carbon offsets for the World Cup in Brazil while the rainforests continue to diminish won’t be a logical fit.
What concerns me is that FIFA will continue to expect the host country to shoulder the majority of the responsibility for sustainable initiatives linked to future World Cups. What I’d love to see is sustainability forming a key part of FIFA’s mission statement, and for FIFA to take an active and ongoing role in greening the Beautiful Game. Football reaches out to millions worldwide, presenting an amazing opportunity to put sustainability into action, showing it as a “cool” way of living that everyone can be a part of, as a logical and practical part of creating the better world FIFA hopes to be a crucial agent for.
The trend to an ever-increasing World Cup footprint must cease. We’re all responsible for doing our part but the organizers are principally responsible as the opportunities and the operational power rest in their hands to make a key difference, and to inspire the fans to make sustainable choices.
Is it too much to ask to balance the Beautiful Game with the Beautiful Planet? Recalling the Four Years. Go vision that we can, and must, make a paradigm leap to environmental sustainability, social justice, and spiritual fulfillment by 2014, it's seems like the ideal time for FIFA to include sustainability in its mission.
