Saudi 2034 bid under fire for its ‘mega polluting’ proposals

August 8 – Rights group Fossil Free Football has called Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup plans ‘mega polluting’ after FIFA released the country’s bid book last week. 

Committed to kicking fossil fuel out of the game, the rights group wrote that “…FIFA is also betraying its own commitments on fighting climate change. Under the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, FIFA has publicly committed to cut emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels.

“A World Cup hosted by Saudi Arabia would be another failure of leadership from FIFA. Football urgently needs serious action to address the danger the climate crisis poses to the sport FIFA is trusted to safeguard, rather than cheap gimmicks like Infantino’s ‘green card for the planet”.

In a video address at Cop26 in Glasgow, Scotland, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: “This is a critical moment. The change in weather patterns is impacting the environment and its rich biodiversity, food security and access to fresh water, as well as the health and well-being of individuals.”

FIFA have devised a climate strategy under Infantino, but the leader of the world federation is known for flying around the world in a private Qatari executive jet. By staging the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia – subject to confirmation by the Congress – FIFA is returning to fossil-fuel heartland again after staging the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The Saudi 2034 bid outlines the construction of seven new venues, including a 92,000 all-seater in Riyad and a stadium in Neom as part of The Line, a futuristic linear city, and other infrastructure projects that will generate pollution and cost billions, even if the bid did not detail a budget for the 2034 finals. Referring to Vision 2030 with a promise of reducing emissions by 278 million tons of CO2 annually by 2030,  Saudi Arabia committed to sustainability in its bid book to deliver a “lasting environmental legacy”.

In a statement, Frank Huisingh from…

Source link : https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2024/08/08/saudi-2034-bid-fire-mega-polluting-proposals/

Author : Paul Nicholson

Publish date : 2024-08-08 09:05:52

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