FIFA has committed to staging a fully carbon-neutral World Cup in Qatar that is slated for November this year.
The Green Card for the Planet initiative is backed by Pele, Arsene Wenger and Gianni Infantino and aims to leave a positive legacy for environmental protection.
Barely a week ago, Reuters reported that Climate advocates had cast doubt on Qatar’s efforts to host soccer’s first carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup by offsetting or eliminating emissions that contribute to global warming, quoting a report released on Tuesday, June 2.
Organisers are omitting some greenhouse gas emissions from their calculations and will rely on flimsy carbon offsets to reach carbon neutrality, the report compiled by Carbon Market Watch revealed.
However, in a statement, Qatar’s tournament organisers dismissed the conclusions as speculative, saying emissions will be calculated using “best-in practice” methods after the tournament ends to ensure they are based on actual activities.
Qatar, the world’s largest producer of natural gas, pledged to host a carbon neutral tournament when it bid for the event more than 11 years ago. – Sky News/Reuters
