How to make the 2018 World Cup as environmentally friendly as possible: A simple online signature can offset 2.9 tons of carbon dioxide

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In June, the World Cup, the world’s largest single-sport event that captivates countless fans, arrived as scheduled. It is well known that major events such as the World Cup greatly boost the economy of the host country, but at the same time, it comes at a very high cost. In addition to requiring substantial financial investment, large-scale events have a huge impact on the environment. As early as at the end of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Russia declared that the 2018 World Cup in Russia would be the most environmentally friendly one, and FIFA has also been committed to reducing energy consumption and emissions during the World Cup. According to FIFA’s estimates, this World Cup will result in 2.1 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, which is less than the 2.72 million tons emitted during the World Cup in Brazil. How will this year’s World Cup achieve being the \"most environmentally friendly\"? Carbon reduction charity initiatives: As the first sports organization to join the United Nations’ Climate Neutrality initiative – which aims to stop further environmental pollution – FIFA aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. For this World Cup, FIFA has committed to offsetting 243,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, and for the first time it is launching a community initiative to provide free carbon offsets to ticket holders. FIFA stated that 98.6% of the 2.1 million tons of greenhouse gases emitted during the entire tournament were due to indirect emissions, with transportation alone accounting for 1.6 million tons of carbon dioxide – 57% of the total emissions from the World Cup. By signing the “Carbon Offset Plan” online, the ticket purchaser can offset 2.9 tons of carbon dioxide and also have a chance to win tickets to the final. Statistical data shows that 2.9 tons of carbon dioxide is the estimated per capita emission for people traveling from abroad to Russia. Foreign media report that, so far, the program has been running fairly well; however, the downside is that its limit is 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide, which means it can only provide carbon offsetting for 34,500 fans. It is worth mentioning that all the carbon dioxide that FIFA has committed to offsetting will be reduced through other means. FIFA has announced that it will reduce carbon dioxide emissions through cooperation projects on low-carbon development in countries around the world. To better carry out this challenging task, FIFA has formed a partnership with the United Nations. In addition to launching the “Carbon Offset Campaign,” FIFA also encourages fans to use public transportation, providing free shuttle buses to and from the stadium in the host city on match days. Various “green” elements: The sports world is becoming greener. At this year’s World Cup, everything from stadiums to jerseys and official balls was, without exception, more environmentally friendly, in an effort to accelerate the transition toward low-carbon practices and efficient use of resources. For this World Cup, FIFA has for the first time committed to ensuring that all stadiums meet internationally recognized green building standards. It is expected that by the end of the competition, all stadiums in Russia will meet the certification standards of BREEAM, the internationally recognized environmental assessment system; currently, 5 stadiums have already received temporary certification. Meanwhile, sports venues in Saransk, Kaliningrad, and Rostov are equipped with built-in energy efficiency measures, including metal halide lamps, LED lighting with adjustable brightness and direction, as well as rainwater collection systems. Furthermore, in order to minimize the need for artificial lighting and allow as much natural light as possible, Russia has installed electric-free hollow tubular skylights in the restaurants of sports venues. Stricter requirements have also been set for indicators such as the energy efficiency parameters and emission reduction parameters of the central air conditioning systems in the competition venues. The players’ sportswear not only wicks sweat quickly but is also 13% lighter; other eco-friendly features are also abundant. For this World Cup, environmental sustainability was the criterion chosen for the materials used in manufacturing the balls; the official balls are made from sugarcane extracts, an eco-friendly material from Brazil. Meanwhile, over 60% of the athletes’ sportswear is made from MIT’s \"functional eco-friendly fabric\" derived from recycled mineral water bottles, which not only helps with rapid sweat evaporation but is also 13% lighter. Regarding waste recycling and utilization, the World Cup has issued the \"World Cup Waste Management Regulations,\" which include a ban on the use of non-recyclable tableware, packaging, and plastic bags within the stadiums; the requirement to use hand dryers instead of paper towels in restrooms; and the use of digital communication rather than paper-based communication \"where possible.\" In addition, FIFA also provides waste management training for all its employees, and informs fans about waste recycling. It is worth mentioning that FIFA has set a target of 320 tons of waste to be recycled. But at the World Cup in Brazil, **776 tons of recyclable waste and 1,595 tons of non-recyclable waste were generated. The industry expects that the waste generated by the World Cup in Russia will be on par with that of the World Cup in Brazil.