FIFA’s next World Cup tournament, hosted in North America, is set to be one of the most damaging to the environment ever, so says energy firm Hometree.
With the USA, Canada and Mexico set to host 80 matches, up from 64 this time around in Qatar, Hometree predicts around US$274,500 will be spent on energy in stadiums alone.
That compares to some US$108,000 to power venues in Qatar, including air con.
Travel and logistics are similarly racked up, along with carbon emission tallies despite Qatar claiming it was the most ‘compact’ setting to date
Looking ahead however, the larger and geographically split tournament in 2026 will require many more flights, it noted.
FIFA and Qatar previously stated they were: “Committed to reducing and offsetting all carbon emissions” relating to the 2022 World Cup, meaning it would be the first carbon-neutral tournament ever held, Hometree said.
However, activists Carbon Market Watch said the claim was “simply not credible”.
A lack of “integrity” was shown in actions to ensure carbon neutrality, the group argued, ultimately “misleading” the public.
“It is unclear how the World Cup in Qatar relates to FIFA’s own climate neutrality goal for 2040,” it added.
When FIFA said #Qatar2022 would be “a fully carbon-neutral event,” the collective chortle that emerged from environmentalists could have powered a wind farm. @CarbonMrktWatch blasted FIFA’s "creative accounting," calling its claim "premature & unworkable" https://t.co/dUYYu8llJ2
— Jules Boykoff (@JulesBoykoff) November 23, 2022
FIFA boss, Gianni Infantino previously outlined the plans, saying “this is a critical moment” for the environment.
He added that for countries to be considered to host world cups, they must “ensure they have stringent and robust measures in place to prioritise sustainability”.
Hometree used sustainability scores to suggest where the greenest world cups could be held, classing ten countries – all European – as the most eco-friendly options.
Denmark, Spain and Switzerland were the top three, while England was fourth.