Find out what FIFA does to protect the environment
The largest football federation in the world cares about offering sustainable and eco friendly contests
Who does not enjoy a good football game? The International Football Federation (FIFA) is in charge of directing the federations of this sport worldwide, and therefore it is in charge of organizing major sporting events such as World Cups.
Leer en español: Descubre lo que hace la FIFA para cuidar el medio ambiente
Beyond offering fun and entertainment to fans, FIFA cares about the social and environmental well-being of those who follow its events. For this reason, FIFA has different programs and alliances to take care of the environment and reduce the negative impact that football events can bring.
Here we tell you some of the actions carried out by the Federation
Green Goal: Aware of the negative impacts of major events, FIFA has implemented the Green Goal project that establishes environmental management measures to reduce the consumption of energy, water, and natural resources.
Also read: What does UEFA do to take care of the environment?
For example, at the 2011 Women's World Cup in Germany, FIFA adopted "extensive measures to minimize the negative impact of the tournament in the fields of climate change, energy, water, waste, traffic, and feeding". The Federation ensures that "40,000 tons of CO2 emissions were offset by environmental projects worth 600,000 euros".
This type of action shows that the impact of major sports events does not have to be exclusively bad. FIFA implemented measures to mitigate and reduce the consequences of holding such an event. At the end, the sporting entity assured that the tournament was an innocuous event with weather because climate protection programs were developed.
On the other hand, in Africa, FIFA's environmental program was awarded. "In 2011, Cape Town's environmental program for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was chosen by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the best environmental project in Africa".
It may interest you: What does the NBA do to take care of the environment?
Alliances with NGOs: Under this same line of ecological conservation, FIFA makes partnerships with non-governmental organizations and state entities to mitigate the impact of their championships. In Colombia, for example, the Federation in alliance with the national government, the Colombian Football Federation (FCF, in Spanish) and the collaboration of WWF (World Wildlife Fund) financed the planting of 35,000 trees.
"The FCF and the national Government, through the Ministry of Environment, joined forces to plan and manage this sporting event in an ecological way, which is the most important of its kind that has been held in our country", said the President of the FCF, Luis Bedoya, in statements collected by FIFA.
LatinAmerican Post | Marcela Peñaloza
Translated from “Descubre lo que hace la FIFA para cuidar el medio ambiente”
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