New York - South Africa’s carbon footprint for 2010, the year it hosted the football World
Cup, was lower than previously expected, says a new United Nations report, which
highlights the successes and lessons that other countries must learn to ensure
the sustainability of major international sporting events.

The <"http://www.unep.org/sport_env/Worldcup2010.aspx">report, produced by the
UN Environment Programme (UNEP), shows that South Africa’s 2010 carbon footprint
was 1.65 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, just 60 per cent of the
figure that had been initially projected. This was partly due to fewer visitors
than expected, carpooling and park and ride schemes, cutting energy use by 30
per cent, and using solar-powered technology and renewable energy.

The South African Government and UNEP also worked on a project to promote
initiatives that would cut the tournament’s carbon footprint such as reducing
waste and water use and enhancing biodiversity. In a news release, UNEP said
such initiatives must be advanced in Brazil, which will be the host of the 2014
World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Other successful measures taken during the 2010 World Cup highlighted in the
report, which was released on Tuesday, include the improvement of South Africa’s
transportation system, which included a rapid bus network, cycling paths, and
walkways in major sites, the reuse of demolition waste, energy efficient
lighting and reducing water waste in various stadiums.

While there were successful initiatives, UNEP said that there were many lessons
learned in terms of implementing sustainability measures.

“The report points to many great initiatives, but perhaps the most important
finding is that South Africa could have achieved more if sustainability measures
had been brought in sooner rather than later,” <"http://www.unep.org/newscentre/Default.aspx?DocumentID=2697&ArticleID=9297&l=en">said
UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. “Indeed, it underlines that achieving the
full potential of greening such tournaments is likely if sustainability is
factored into the planning, design and construction from the word go.”

Earlier this week, UNEP officials met with representatives from the Brazilian
Government, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the
Olympic Committee to consider concrete steps to green the two major sporting
events.

In its report, UNEP calls on FIFA to help raise awareness of the World Cup’s
environmental impact by offsetting its own carbon footprint and encouraging its
partners to do the same. UNEP has also signed an agreement with the Brazilian
Government to help green both the World Cup and the Summer Olympics, carrying on
an advisory role with the Olympic Games that began in 2004.