The
Khalifa International Stadium – the first completed tournament venue
for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar – has received a major sustainability
certification, fifa.com reported yesterday.
The 40,000-capacity
stadium has become the first in the world to be awarded a four-star
rating from the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS), which is
administered by Qatar-based Gulf Organisation for Research &
Development (Gord).
Qatar’s national stadium, which officially
reopened in May of this year, underwent extensive redevelopment that was
overseen by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC),
Qatar’s 2022 World Cup organising body, and the Aspire Zone Foundation.
The official four-star certification follows a provisional award
announced in June 2016. Fitted with innovative and energy-efficient
cooling technology, the Khalifa International Stadium received the
rating during the second annual Sustainability Summit in Doha, which was
organised by Gord and sponsored by the SC.
“We are very proud to
receive the four-star certification – this is a major achievement for
Qatar, the SC and Aspire Zone Foundation, as we strive to meet our
ambitious sustainability targets in the lead-up to 2022 and beyond,”
said Bodour al-Meer, the SC’s Sustainability & Environmental
Manager.
In order to obtain GSAS certification, developers must
employ leading sustainability practices in the design, construction and
operation to minimise a building’s ecological footprint. Khalifa
International Stadium’s cooling technology uses an energy recovery
system in order to reduce energy consumption. In addition, the stadium
features energy-efficient lighting systems and plumbing fixtures.
FIFA’s
Head of Sustainability & Diversity, Federico Addiechi, praised
Qatar’s commitment to sustainability. “It’s great to see that Qatar’s
first stadium has successfully received certification so far in advance
of the tournament,” said Addiechi. “Also, the fact that such a
sophisticated certification system exists and is being widely used in
Qatar is very promising. “Stadiums are at the heart of a FIFA World Cup,
making them the focus for the sustainable management of the event.”
The Khalifa International Stadium
