Taking a major step, Qatar and FIFA presented yesterday the first-ever joint FIFA World Cup Sustainability Strategy, which sets out the ambitious plans to maximise the tournament’s contribution to people’s wellbeing, economic development and environmental protection in the short and long term.
When Qatar bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2022, it did so with a vision to use the tournament as a catalyst for sustainable, long-term change. From the start, Qatar believed in the power of football and the FIFA World Cup to inspire innovation, to build bridges between cultures and peoples, and to accelerate positive social transformation.
The measure of success is the legacy this tournament leaves behind for Qatar, the region, and the world. The work that has been undertaken since Qatar was awarded the hosting rights in 2010 shows how this event is already transforming Qatar and providing a model for inspiring positive social, economic and environmental change that other host countries can learn from and build on.
The SC’s Workers’ Welfare Standards are setting best practice that is helping to drive improvement in the living and working conditions of workers across Qatar. The local green building rating system developed to evaluate the environmental performance of the FIFA World Cup 2022 stadiums is already changing the way that other buildings and infrastructure across Qatar are being planned and built to respect local communities and the environment.
The Accessibility Forum established by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) is working to facilitate accessibility across physical infrastructure, public transport and services in Qatar.
The issues and initiatives that form the framework of the strategy were identified with the help of a thorough and continuous consultation process with local and international stakeholders, and thematic experts through surveys, workshops, meetings and the circulation of drafts. Throughout the process, over 100 national and international governmental, non-governmental and private sector organisations were consulted. A key objective for the FIFA World Cup 2022 is to serve as a catalyst for the achievement of Qatar’s development goals as laid out in the Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030 and the National Development Strategy (NDS) 2018-2022.
The framework of this strategy is aligned with these pillars and aims to generate significant long-term contributions to Qatar’s vision of sustainability. By working together with all the stakeholders, Qatar will continue to deliver on its vision to use the power of football to open the door to a world of amazing experiences and a genuine legacy of sustainable development
