Sustainability Progress Report
Sustainability was at the heart of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ from the start, premised on the idea that the preparation and delivery of a mega-sporting event can have a significant long-term impact on leaving a greener, more equitable place for generations to come.
Sustainability at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™
The vision for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ was to use the power of football to open the door to a world of amazing experiences. This entailed showcasing Qatar’s unique identity through a FIFA World Cup™ that connected people in a shared celebration of football, intercultural understanding and new opportunities for growth and development.
New benchmarks were set with regard to long-term community use for infrastructure, seamless operations and unparalleled services, which will have a positive impact on the way future editions of the FIFA World Cup and other large-scale sporting events are organised. The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ continues to build a sustainable and lasting legacy that contributes to FIFA’s vision and Qatar’s National Vision 2030.
To deliver on this vision, maximise the positive legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and set a new benchmark for the sustainability of mega-sporting events, the tournament’s primary delivery partners defined five joint sustainability commitments. These commitments were grouped into five pillars: human, social, economic, environmental and governance. The pillars formed the foundation of the sustainability framework, which covered tournament preparation, staging, and post-tournament activities.
The sustainability framework encompasses the policy commitments, goals, material topics and strategic objectives of the tournament, all of which are included in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Sustainability Strategy. The strategy describes in detail the initiatives that were implemented to address the sustainability issues identified as material priorities for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, ultimately enabling the delivery of the tournament’s sustainability commitments.
These sustainability initiatives were implemented by the tournament organisers in collaboration with organisations in Qatar and internationally. They not only addressed the most important sustainability impacts generated by the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, but will also leave a positive legacy that will be felt for many years after the final whistle.
Sustainability achievements
Sustainability impacts of the tournament
Sustainable development, as defined in the UN’s 1987 report “Our Common Future”, is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It has three main pillars: economic, environmental and social.
The preparation, staging and post-tournament activities of a FIFA World Cup™ can generate a wide range of impacts on the economy, the natural environment, and on people and communities, both in the host country and internationally. While many of these impacts are positive, there are also risks of adverse impacts. The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ was unique in many respects, with the type of opportunities and challenges related to sustainability being no exception.
Hosting the tournament presented tremendous opportunities for the development of local industries, expertise and infrastructure, for the innovation and application of world-class standards and for the support of Qatar’s transition to a knowledge-based economy. As with any mega-event, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ also presented risks related to the increased use of limited natural resources and the generation of emissions, as well as to the health, safety and well-being of all people involved in the tournament, including workers, participants, attendees and local communities. Tournament organisers followed a process of extensive stakeholder consultation in order to prioritise the most material areas and to focus both efforts and resources in a manner that would maximise the sustainability of the tournament.