Qatar’s carbon-neutral World Cup to help drive ‘positive change’

The chief executive officer of Madrid-headquartered Dorna Sports, Carmelo Ezpeleta, has lauded Qatar for its bid to host the first carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup: The much-anticipated football tournament, which is expected to draw millions of fans and visitors to the country by the end of November this year.Ezpeleta was among the distinguished speakers at the 2022 edition of the Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg, held in Doha. In this two-part exclusive interview with Gulf Times, he elaborates further on some of the major points that he discussed during QEF 2022, such as the shift to sustainable fuels and e-bikes, as well as the success of the World Cup in Qatar.Gulf Times: During the Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg, you reiterated announcements made in 2021 that MotoGP will start moving to sustainable fuels in 2024. Kindly elaborate briefly about your journey towards sustainability and how this decision will have a positive impact on the sport. Ezpeleta: MotoGP has a vital role to play in the world’s push towards sustainability and our move to sustainable fuels is a cornerstone of the sport’s future. Our new era of zero-carbon fuels means we will only use fuel of 100% non-fossil origin from 2027. The first step towards this goal will come in 2024, using fuel of a minimum of 40% non-fossil origin.Billions of people rely on two-wheeled transportation and as the pinnacle of two wheels, MotoGP is the top of this pyramid. We are in the perfect position to drive progress and innovation throughout the sector, working with all our partners and stakeholders to put sustainability top of the agenda. MotoGP is a testing ground where we can help shape a more sustainable future for the whole planet, not just our sport.We can create this positive change and it will then become a tangible change for billions of people. That is true more generally as we work to spread the popularity of two wheels – which is already the most sustainable form of powered transport – and work with partners such as Michelin in their mission to revolutionise the world’s tyres. The same is true of sustainable fuels as its own initiative. Our new era is built on sustainable, drop-in fuels with no single proprietor, meaning greater accessibility and real change for people on the street.Being able to create this positive impact then creates a huge positive impact on the sport itself. It’s that rarest of races: One where everybody wins.Aside from sustainable fuels, you also mentioned plans to achieve carbon neutrality (as well as producing “100% MotoE bikes”). Congruent to these above-mentioned plans is Qatar’s announcement to host the first carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup. What is your opinion on Qatar’s aspirations to deliver this mega-event in a sustainable manner?It’s something incredibly positive. This is how real change is created – everyone; every sport, country, company, and person doing their part to maximise their positive impact. Together, all these positive actions create a domino effect in the wider world and inspire us all to keep looking for ways to improve and create positive change.How successfully do you anticipate this event will turn out considering the world-class stadiums and other related infrastructure that Qatar had built for the World Cup and for future sporting events? During our history of racing in Qatar, we have come to anticipate success and I can only imagine the same will be true of the World Cup. Our experience of Lusail is of a world-class facility, and I expect the infrastructure and facilities built for the World Cup will be no different for all the competitors and attendees.Are you anticipating that more countries, as well as other stakeholders and major players, to follow suit and gravitate towards organising net-zero sports events in the future? Yes. None of these initiatives exist in a vacuum, and I expect to see these positive changes only grow in their scope and influence. Our philosophy is one of racing together; that’s how MotoGP pushes to create positive change, and it’s true of the wider world too. Whether in direct collaboration or healthy competition, everything comes together to create this positive domino effect. And it has to begin somewhere – with pioneers and innovators taking the first steps to inspire that growth to spread.