Dr. Talar Sahsuvaroglu (centre), and Nihal Al Saleh (right) during the discussion.
Doha: Sustainability is not just about the environment, but stretches into everything from social development to the governance of organisations and countries – spanning areas such as building standards to reduce carbon footprint, inclusivity, accessibility, and female representation.
The full scope of sustainability was discussed during an all-female panel discussion during the Future Leaders in Football event at Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Education City, which examined what sustainability means in the world of sports, and how it can be applied across many aspects of the sports industry to nurture a generation of women in football who are informed, and able to make their mark on their communities in a meaningful way.
The event was organised by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy’s (SC) Generation Amazing programme, QF, the DFB – German football’s governing body – and the Qatar Football Association. In a discussion titled Leadership Challenges in Action, with a focus on Sustainability of Mega Sporting Events, Dr. Talar Sahsuvaroglu, Sustainability and Environmental Expert, SC, and Nihal Al Saleh, Programme Manager, Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future, a member of QF, shared their views on what sustainability means.
Al Saleh explained the importance of having people, especially women, within the field of sustainability who understand the culture and the “niche priorities” of the country they work in. According to Al Saleh, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is an opportunity to leverage and highlight different elements within sustainability.
Dr. Sahsuvaroglu told the event: “The challenge now is ‘what next’. You have to keep fighting; we all do - every one of us, whether we’re moms or daughters, or sisters, or aunties.”
