The famous World Climate Cup. As revealed the Obs this Tuesday, Qatar set up a shuttle system to transport its supporters to the stadiums where the 2022 World Cup matches will take place. So far, nothing out of the ordinary. Except that the shuttles will be… planes.
For good reason, Qatar’s offer in terms of accommodation is insufficient given the million and a half supporters expected in stadiums during the event. Luckily, neighboring states are willing to welcome these tourists. A win-win deal, except for the planet. There are thus more than 160 daily flights (ie more than one plane every ten minutes) which will allow fans to commute during the day to attend the matches. Pee in the shower and sort your emails, they said…
Greenwashing and exponential carbon footprint
One of the main winners of the operation is called Dubai, with 30 daily return flights with Doha. The biggest loser is called the planet. As for Qatar’s carbon neutrality promises, they amount to greenwashing, believes Greenpeace. “The carbon neutrality put forward by the organizers is not a response to the climate emergency and must be considered as greenwashing”, declares Jean-François Julliard, quoted by the Obs. Carbon dioxide emissions during the 2022 World Cup are estimated at 3.6 million tonnes of CO2. With this shuttle system, this figure could explode.