“In the history of FIFA, Qatar 2022 will be the first carbon-neutral World Cup. With a sustainability advisory from Gord, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) has taken several measures to cut down the tournament’s GHG emissions while also utilising carbon offsetting services for the unavoidable emissions.
“Within Qatar, we are seeing heightened interest from organizers approaching the Global Carbon Council (GCC) to explore the mechanisms behind events’ carbon neutrality,” Gord founding chairman Dr Yousef al-Horr told Gulf Times in an interview.
Dr al-Horr stressed that the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be a “first of its kind", thus setting a global benchmark for the staging of future World Cups and other tournaments worldwide.
He also emphasised that Qatar exceeded FIFA’s expectations, not just through carbon neutrality commitment, but also by taking voluntary moves as a part of its pledge to environmental conservation.
Citing Al Janoub Stadium, Dr al-Horr said the facility recently received all three green building certifications under the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS). The facility is now the first stadium to have all three certifications: GSAS Design & Build, GSAS Construction Management and GSAS Operations.
“Adopting GSAS Operations was an entirely voluntary move which Qatar plans to continue for all eight stadiums to ensure that the facilities operate sustainably. Globally, such initiatives will inspire future host countries and create a lasting legacy coming from the State of Qatar,” he pointed out.
He said Gord is in the process of finalising GSAS certifications for all eight stadiums that will welcome FIFA fans in 2022. Audits for GSAS Operations are presently ongoing to evaluate the sustainability impact of stadiums in the post-occupancy stage, he noted.
To ensure environmentally-responsible development and operations of temporary sites and fan zones, Gord also developed a unique GSAS EcoLeaf for Camps & Festival Sites as a tourism sustainability certification. It is designed to improve the purpose-built, temporary facilities’ performance and reduce the negative impacts generated by their activity, Dr al-Horr explained.
In the context of carbon neutrality, Dr al-Horr said Gord, with the support of SC, has established the Global Carbon Council (GCC) – the Mena’s first voluntary carbon market catalysing climate change mitigation finance globally and especially for the region, which has largely remained under-represented when it comes to the use of carbon market instruments to fight against climate change.
“GCC credits will be used for offsetting host country emissions linked with Football World Cup Qatar 2022 but the legacy will continue in the years to come. Today, this GCC programme is the only CORSIA-accredited international programme in the Global South.
“It is also accredited by ICROA and has more than 260 GHG reduction projects registered from across the world including local and regional projects, with the expectation that this number will reach up to 500 projects by the end of 2022. Collectively, more than 20mn carbon credits are expected to be issued by GCC by year-end,” Dr al-Horr said.
In terms of research activities, he said Gord and SC are collaborating on Al Thumama 'Showcase Stadium', originally built as part of Qatar’s bid to prove that football can be played in the Middle East despite the region’s tough terrain.
Since Qatar’s winning bid for the tournament, the facility has transformed beyond a showcase space. Supported by the SC, the facility currently offers a platform for Gord’s pilot-scale research and development in anticipation of supporting one of the most sustainable tournaments in FIFA’s history, Dr al-Horr said.
“Essentially, the showcase venue is reflective of SC’s stance on environmental sustainability, to which the hosting nation has shown unprecedented commitment. As a breeding ground for future technologies, Al Thumama 'Showcase Stadium' nurtures scientific research to develop innovations in the field of environmental sustainability,” he added.
According to Dr al-Horr, Gord and SC are also collaborating to implement GSAS in all stadiums. To mitigate the carbon footprint linked with the development of World Cup venues as much as possible, the SC chose, following the approval from FIFA, GSAS as the green buildings certification system for all stadiums.
“Through the adoption of GSAS, SC showcased a lifecycle approach for the first time in FIFA history by implementing sustainability best practices on all stadiums through the entirety of the life of the facility that encompassed design, construction, and operation phases.
“In the same vein, SC voluntarily implemented GSAS Construction Management certification for the stadiums to ensure that all contractors abide by best sustainability practices during the course of construction. With less than a year ahead of the World Cup, the stadiums are pursuing GSAS Operations certification to ensure sustainable operations and management of the venues in the post-construction stage,” Dr al-Horr added.