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Measures are being put in place to shrink the carbon footprint of the World Cup, and teach people about the environment at the same time.
GREEN Goal has been launched in Johannesburg, aimed at making the World Cup as environmentally friendly as possible.
A 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee (OC) initiative, it also uses the World Cup as a platform to educate people about environmental issues.
Greening of 2010 games will be implemented at all the stadiums hosting matches, such as Ellis Park Stadium
The programme borrows from Germany's 2006 World Cup greening model in which the organisers tried to reduce the event's greenhouse gas emissions by increasing energy efficiency and using renewable energy wherever possible.
Launching Green Goal in Nasrec on Thursday, 26 November, the deputy minister of water and environmental affairs, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, said it was important to use a huge event such as the World Cup to "nurture" the culture of greening the environment.
"The greening of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ is ... about striking a balance between the economic, social and ecological sustainable development elements. South Africa will be at the centre of the world's attention when the country hosts the World Cup for four weeks in 2010. It will be opportune to adopt an ‘event greening' approach at that point in time because nowadays international environmental imperatives demand serious attention to the potential impact of such mega events on the environment," she said.
Greening during the World Cup entailed incorporating greening measures and monitoring the post-event outcomes, according to Mabudafhasi. She said greening of the 2010 games would be implemented in all 10 stadiums hosting matches.
Objectives
There are several objectives behind Green Goal. These are:
- Reduction of carbon emissions. All FIFA vehicles and public transport vehicles should meet Euro II standards for fuel efficiency and emissions. Spectators will also be encouraged to use public transport;
- An energy audit/assessment covering a period of at least six months will be done at stadiums to determine the baseline and where energy savings can be done;
- Reduction of waste production. Takeaway food will be served with minimum packaging and multi-use containers for drinks will be used in stadiums; reusable material in the construction of temporary facilities will be promoted, and waste will be separated at source;
- A water consumption audit/assessment will be done at stadiums to determine the baseline and where water savings can be made. Use of water-free urinals will be promoted and the use of rain or surface water for sprinkling toilets, urinals and cleaning in stadiums will be encouraged; and
- Drivers will be trained in eco-driving to reduce fuel consumption.
According to a feasibility study by the Norwegian Embassy in South Africa to estimate the carbon footprint of the World Cup, it will have the largest carbon footprint of any major event in the country. Excluding international travel, it will be more than eight times the estimated footprint of the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
According to the study, this larger carbon footprint is related to South Africa's geography and infrastructure.
"For inter-city transport, which is the largest component after international transport, distances between matches in South Africa are much greater than in Germany, and the lack of high speed rail links means that most visitors will fly multiple times between matches, leading to much higher transport emissions," the study says.
"For intra-city transport, much of this travel will still be in passenger cars or small buses over long distances, rather than light rail as used in Germany. Energyuse in accommodation is higher than for the 2006 analysis, but the assumptions used in this analysis are more realistic."
Perceptions
However, the OC chief executive, Danny Jordaan, said the Green Goal programme would not only focus on the World Cup, but was aimed at changing perceptions of the environment. Giving an example of Johannesburg, he said the city was characterised by a treed north and an almost treeless south.
The green gateway into Soweto
"The City has responded to these disparities by planting trees in previously disadvantaged communities. Also, during the Confederations Cup this year, we implemented some of the Green Goal measures to ensure a green event."
Already, the City of Johannesburg has set up systems that will, among other issues, attempt to reduce waste and save energy during the World Cup. Part of the Green Goal initiative, these measures have the City targeting a carbon neutral event, including saving drinking water and encouraging the use of public transport.
They were developed after several meetings between the OC and the nine host cities. The host cities also pledged to support national initiatives on Green Goal:
- Avoidance and minimisation of waste;
- Waste separation;
- Efficient use of potable water;
- Energy efficiency;
- Promotion of the use of public transport; and
- Promotion of the use of local biodiversity in landscaping.
In line with Green Goal objectives, Soccer City Stadium, the venue for the opening ceremony and opening and final matches, produced thousands of tonnes of builders' rubble from the demolition of parts the old FNB Stadium. This rubble was recycled and used in the new stadium.
When the 88 000-seat venue opens its gates for the first time, it will have the latest in environmental technology. Waterless urinals will be used and the soccer pitch will be irrigated exclusively from non-potable water. Waste reduction will be a major focus, with re-usable cups and limited use of food containers.
Waste
After the 2009 Confederations Cup, Green Goal initiatives were analysed. The analysis concentrated on waste reduction in and outside Ellis Park, the park and ride system, energy audits and water harvesting.
Marked bins for waste separation at Ellis Park were the most conspicuous of the environmental measures during the tournament. The bins, at all entrances to the stadium, were manned by marshals who made sure spectators deposited their waste in the appropriate bins.
Besides the measures implemented during the Confederations Cup the City has already started greening projects for 2010. These include:
- Rehabilitating the Klip River and its tributaries;
- Planting 200 000 trees;
- Greening soccer fields in Soweto;
- Greening mine dumps;
- Implementing the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system;
- Rehabilitating the Diepkloof hostel; and
- Installing underground bin systems in stadiums.
At the end of the launch, OC members and representatives of all 2010 host cities signed a pledge to commit themselves to the objectives of Green Goal. The City of Johannesburg was represented by the member of the mayoral committee of environment, Matshidiso Mfikoe.
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