Sustainability game-changers at World Cup

The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) said that FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has been a game changer in terms of organising a sustainable tournament. Many innovations will have a lasting influence on the way similar events are planned and delivered in the future.FIFA said in a report today that a special and comprehensive program for energy and water management has been employed in the stadiums for this edition of the World Cup, which adopts efficient designs, constructions and operations, noting that all stadiums are 30% more energy efficient and consume less water than international benchmarks (ASHRAE 90.1), and recycled water vapor from cooling systems in stadiums is used to irrigate the surrounding stadium landscape, 90 % of temporary diesel generators were replaced by electric sub-stations providing greener grid power and reducing air pollution, and all five energy centers at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadiums have GSAS Seasonal Energy Efficiency certification.The report stated that all future FIFA World Cups will continue to use this sustainability program as the blueprint for ensuring maximum operational efficiency.For this edition of the FIFA World Cup, a fleet of 311 eco-friendly hybrid and electric vehicles and 10 electric buses have been provided by sponsors Hyundai and Kia for use as ground transport of teams, officials and VIPs at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. This marks the first time that EVs have been deployed in such numbers to service event organizers, a precedent which is sure to be followed as FIFA continues to emphasize the need for clean mobility.The report stated that ecological imperative to avoid, reduce, re-use and recycle has also been a defining policy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 from the early planning stages, reflecting the organizers' leadership and commitment to divert all tournament waste from landfill, including tournament-wide recycling of plastic, aluminum, cardboard, paper and glass and composting of waste food and compostable tableware at all stadiums, training camps, and other official sites, all uniforms for workforce staff and 20,000 volunteers were made from recycled materials, and distributed in bags converted from signage and stadium dressing from previous events.The report emphasised that inclusiveness was a game-changer, thanks to an expansive range of features which have helped make it more accessible for disabled fans through mobility assistance, accessible transport, parking, facilities and five ticket types for disabled people and people with limited mobility, audio-descriptive commentary in English, and for the first time Arabic, for blind and partially sighted people to enjoy matches in the live stadium atmosphere.For the first time at a FIFA World Cup, sensory rooms for people with sensory access requirements to allow them to attend a match without becoming overwhelmed by the sounds and stimuli of match day.