The Gulf Organisation for Research & Development (Gord), in collaboration with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), the Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) and the Global Carbon Council (GCC), organised an event on the Sustainability Legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Sharing insights on ways Qatar met its ambitious climate commitment for the tournament, the event brought together sustainability professionals, carbon finance experts, climate solution providers, innovators and specialists who were directly involved in World Cup 2022 projects.
Gord founding chairman Dr Yousef Alhorr said: “Qatar envisioned a climate-resilient future long before its winning bid for the FIFA World Cup, but the opportunity to host the world’s most-watched sporting event certainly accelerated our progress.”
“From the outset, we believed that the World Cup can be an enabler of green transformation, not only in Qatar but also across the globe,” he said. “This knowledge-sharing event is about showcasing the green initiatives that we engaged in with support from the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.”
“By sharing insights on ways Qatar met its ambitious sustainability goals for the event, we hope to inspire and empower other entities to take action towards a more low-carbon future,” Dr Alhorr said. “At the same time, we remain committed to ensuring that the sustainability legacy of Qatar 2022 lives on for years to come.”
SC sustainability executive director Bodour al-Meer said: “We always knew that hosting the FIFA World Cup in Qatar was an opportunity to design and deliver projects that would reduce environmental impact during the event and at the same time leave a positive legacy.”
“One key aspect of our strategy was our green building programme, and we are proud to have achieved GSAS (Global Sustainability Assessment System) certification for the design, construction, and operations for the stadiums,” she said. “The Sustainability Programme for the FIFA World Cup was the first to be jointly developed and delivered between the host country and FIFA.”
“Through this collaboration we were able to have a positive impact during preparations, operations and in legacy,” al-Meer added.
Federico Addiechi, FIFA’s head of Sustainability & Environment, said: “As a team, we delivered a World Cup that offered many ‘firsts’ and one that implemented the most comprehensive sustainability strategy of a mega-sport event ever.”
“This World Cup 2022 will not only leave a positive legacy for sustainability in Qatar, but will also impact the way similar events will be conducted around the world,” he said. “Qatar’s positive influence will continue to be felt in future FIFA World Cups and beyond.”
QSTP executive director Yosouf al-Salehi said: “Qatar has taken great strides in executing a sustainability agenda for economic development over the past decade.”
“The World Cup preparations saw a particular push towards carbon neutrality, with tangible measures put in place that ensured a significant reduction of harmful emissions and non-recyclable waste,” he said. “It is imperative that we not only celebrate the sustainability legacy of the World Cup but also talk about it on platforms such as the QSTP Meet the Expert series, which we are very proud to host.”
“Bringing together experts who have contributed towards creating this legacy is an essential step in sharing knowledge as well as educating the public,” al-Salehi added.
During the event, participants learnt about key projects that helped build a green legacy of the tournament.
Speakers at the event covered a range of topics, including the positive sustainability aspects of Qatar 2022, environmental performance of stadiums during operations, carbon neutrality of the tournament, carbon offsetting in the World Cup context, construction waste management, dust control, energy and water conservation best practices at stadium sites, sustainability in the design of the stadiums, and sustainability implementation in Qatar by key organisations.
A key highlight of the event was the expert panel discussion on carbon neutrality, which highlighted Qatar's commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of the tournament.
Leading this session were climate experts from the Global Carbon Council – the Mena (Middle East and North Africa) region’s first carbon credits issuance programme that also contributed towards the carbon neutrality of Qatar 2022.
The event also explored the environmentally efficient design and construction of stadiums, highlighting the use of sustainable materials and waste management practices that led to the achievement of outstanding green building ratings under the GSAS.
Participants of this session learned about the best practices in energy and water conservation, and dust control measures along with other strategies that were implemented at stadium sites to reduce their environmental impact.
Dignitaries at the event.
