FIFA and the environment
© Foto-net
FIFA and the environment
FIFA is dedicated to taking its environmental responsibility seriously. Issues such as global warming, environmental conservation and sustainable management are a concern for FIFA, not only in regards to FIFA World Cups™, but also in relation to FIFA as an organisation. That is why FIFA has been engaging with its stakeholders and other institutions to find sensible ways of addressing environmental issues and mitigate the negative environmental impacts linked to its activities.

Home of FIFA: zero emissions
The Home of FIFA, which FIFA moved into in 2006, sets benchmarks for the environment. The highest priority was given to an ecological and economic energy concept tied to modern facilities, which was harmoniously integrated into the nearby recreational area. Against this backdrop, FIFA decided on a zero-emission building, and those requirements were completely fulfilled – for example by rejecting fossil fuels and CO2 emissions, and by implementing energy-efficient technologies and the optimal interplay of a heating and cooling system. If the building needs to be heated and cooled at the same time, the heat pump takes heat from the cooling network and transfers it to the heating network.
Green Goal
FIFA has encouraged and engaged with Local Organising Committees (LOC) in regard to environmental protection since 2005 when the German LOC launched the Green Goal environmental programme for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™. FIFA invested EUR 400,000 in a carbon offsetting project in South Africa for electricity from sewage gas in the Sebokeng Township, Gauteng, South Africa. The project was developed by the German LOC together with the Swiss organisation myclimate to offset the 92,000 tons of unavoidable CO2 emissions of the competition. Other contributors to the Green Goal programme and the compensation projects were the DFB, Deutsche Telekom and PlasticsEurope.
Inspired by Green Goal 2006 and by previous experiences with major international events in South Africa, the South African LOC developed a Green Goal programme for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. Together with the Department for Environmental Affairs, the LOC implemented a number of projects involving Host Cities, government departments, local environmentalists and international partners such as UNEP.
The LOC for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011™ launched the Green Goal 2011 programme in early 2010, building on the experiences from 2006 to expand the environmental project. FIFA is part of this ambitious programme together with the LOC and the Oeko-Institut, a leading European research and consultancy institution working for a sustainable future.
The 2018/2022 FIFA World Cups™
In assuring its commitment to the environment in the future, FIFA decided to include environmental protection in future bidding agreements, starting with the bidding process for the FIFA World Cups™ in 2018 and 2022. FIFA requested comprehensive information on the activities planned to avoid, reduce and offset the negative environmental impacts of hosting the FIFA World Cup™.
The bidders had to provide information on the following topics:
  • A comprehensive environmental assessment of staging the FIFA World Cup™
  • Systematic integration of the environment into management structures
  • Composition and integration of an Environmental Advisory Board
  • Outreach programme for stakeholder consultation
  • Measurable objectives in six core topics of water, waste, energy, transportation, procurement and climate change
  • Planned activities to minimise the adverse environmental effects
“20 Centres for 2010” and the environment
“20 Centres for 2010”, the official campaign of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, is building 20 Football for Hope Centres for education, public health and football in disadvantaged communities across Africa.
By using the positive elements of football, many community-based organisations have been successful in reaching young people and addressing a variety of local challenges including waste removal and environmental education. To strengthen this development, Football for Hope Centres are being built as facilities from which these local best-practice organisations can reach out to the local young people and the community.
Furthermore, FIFA and FIFA World Cup Sponsor Yingli Solar are installing solar panels in each of the 20 centres to not only ensure energy supply to the facilities but also to raise awareness on alternative energy sources in African communities.
2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™
FIFA has already begun working with the 2014 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee Brazil to ensure an adequate integration of environmental matters into the management structure and into the preparation and staging of the event. This will not only strengthen the environmental programme for 2014 but also help the organisers to keep pace with the various initiatives that have already begun to develop in the country that was host to the first-ever global summit on the environment and development in 1992.