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At a time of climate emergency, the Qatar 2022 World Cup, which begins on Sunday November 20, is an ecological aberration. Indeed, the stadiums have been air-conditioned to be able to host the event.
The football World Cup, which will take place in Qatar from November 20, raises many questions, particularly in the field of ecology. Stadium 974 is a showcase for the country, since it was built entirely from containers and recycled materials. At the end of the competition, the entire structure will be dismantled. It is also the only stadium without indoor air conditioning. Faced with the controversy over air conditioning in other stadiums, the host country defends itself by claiming to use solar energy for air conditioning.
If the Qataris are defending themselves ecologically, for environmental protection associations, the air conditioning system in open stadiums represents a real aberration. “It’s a World Cup, which, at the ecological level, is complete nonsense”criticizes Julien Jreissati, director of Greenpeace in the Middle East. FIFA published a report in 2021, in which it is specified that the World Cup will produce 3.6 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to the annual emissions of Iceland. Another concern for Qatar: more than 160 daily flights will be responsible for bringing fans there, which should also increase the carbon footprint of the competition.