Copenhagen Accord in Action
With the Copenhagen Accord fresh on the table awaiting the official endorsement by President Zuma, organizers of the Soccer World Cup are faced with the monumental task of ‘greening 2010′ events.
The global impact of the 2010 event has been estimated to be eight times greater than the 2006 World Cup which was held in Germany BEFORE adding in the emissions from the international travel required for those attending the activities.
In a study of the projected carbon footprint of the coming event, which was funded by the Norwegian Embassy, carbon emissions were calculated to be over 2.7 million tons. The Norwegian report indicates the cost of balancing out these with carbon offsets will be between R40.6 – $76.7 million ($5.4 to $10.2 million in U.S Dollars).
The cities hosting the World Cup are adopting the ‘greening 2010′ framework in an effort to reduce this footprint by focusing on all aspects of the event. These include waste, energy, transport, water, biodiversity and tourism. On the positive side, the planners are looking to job creation, public communication and education.
Whenever possible, alternative energy sources will be used. Lighting for everything from cameras to roads will be based on solar power. Wind power and biogas will fuel Cape Town and Pretoria. Durban plans on implementing industrial offset programs and reforestation projects to balance out the impact of the event.
Dr. Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee, was quoted as saying: