{"id":18097,"date":"2023-06-11T00:01:03","date_gmt":"2023-06-11T07:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/fifa-made-false-claims-about-carbon-neutral-world-cup-in-qatar-swiss-regulator-says\/"},"modified":"2023-06-11T00:01:04","modified_gmt":"2023-06-11T07:01:04","slug":"fifa-made-false-claims-about-carbon-neutral-world-cup-in-qatar-swiss-regulator-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/fifa-made-false-claims-about-carbon-neutral-world-cup-in-qatar-swiss-regulator-says\/","title":{"rendered":"FIFA made false claims about ‘carbon neutral’ World Cup in Qatar, Swiss regulator says"},"content":{"rendered":"

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ZURICH \u2014 FIFA made false claims about last year\u2019s World Cup in Qatar being carbon neutral, an advertising regulator in Switzerland said recently.<\/p>\n

FIFA was \u201cnot able to provide proof that the claims were accurate,\u201d the federally recognized Swiss Commission for Fairness said in its judgment into complaints filed from five countries.<\/p>\n

The commission said it \u201cadvised FIFA to refrain from making unsubstantiated claims in the future. Particularly the claim that the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar was climate- or carbon-neutral.\u201d<\/p>\n

FIFA said in a statement it would analyze the recommendations and had the right of appeal. The ruling is not legally binding.<\/p>\n

Qatar spent more than $200 billion on a decade-long\u00a0construction\u00a0program of mostly air-conditioned projects to prepare for hosting the soccer tournament in the gas-rich emirate. It relied on using hundreds of thousands of migrant labourers working in widely criticized conditions.<\/p>\n

Seven of the eight stadiums used \u2013 including one with a facade of shipping containers later to be dismantled \u2013 were built in and around Doha. A new city, Lusail, was constructed, including the stadium that staged the World Cup final.<\/p>\n

Environmental groups in Belgium, Britain, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland filed complaints about FIFA\u2019s claims of a carbon-neutral tournament to the Swiss advertising regulator.<\/p>\n

The Swiss commission in FIFA\u2019s home city of Zurich evaluated claims that 3.63 million metric tons of carbon dioxide had been compensated for and all tournament-related emissions would eventually be offset.<\/p>\n

FIFA had not proven the offsets \u201cand did not set out a plan to define how it will further offset emissions,\u201d the ruling said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was unclear to the (regulator) whether the promised level of (carbon dioxide) compensation was realistic at all,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

FIFA acknowledged in a statement that \u201cclimate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFIFA is also fully aware of the impacts that mega-events have on the economy, the natural environment and on people and communities, and has been making substantial efforts to tackle those impacts and, at the same time, to use opportunities to maximize the positive effects of its most iconic tournament,\u201d the soccer body said.<\/p>\n

The 2026 World Cup will be staged in 16 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico with 48 teams instead of 32. They will play 104 games instead of 64, though in stadiums already existing.<\/p>\n

Qatar also will host the Asian Cup next year, with 24 teams playing the Jan. 12-Feb. 10 tournament in eight stadiums, including six of the World Cup venues.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n