Swiss Fairness Commission finds FIFA made false statements that Qatar World Cup was carbon neutral

The Swiss Fairness Commission has found that FIFA made false statements when it claimed the Qatar World Cup would be the first “fully carbon-neutral World Cup.”

The Swiss Fairness Commission (SLK) said “FIFA was not able to provide proof that the claims were accurate during the proceedings. The SLK has advised FIFA to refrain from making unsubstantiated claims in the future. Particularly the claim that the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar was climate- or carbon-neutral. The SLK concluded that it should not be claimed that sustainability goals have been achieved if there are no definitive and generally accepted methods for measuring sustainability or ensuring sustainability measures have been implemented.”

SLK began investigating the claims after the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, Belgium and the Netherlands all challenged the FIFA claims. FIFA responded to the SLK decision saying “FIFA is fully aware that climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time and believes it requires each of us to take immediate and sustainable climate action. FIFA is also fully aware of the impacts that mega-events have on the economy, the natural environment and on people and communities, and has been making substantial efforts to tackle those impacts and, at the same time, to use opportunities to maximise the positive effects of its most iconic tournament, including Qatar 2022. It remains committed to continuously improve its approaches in collaboration with key stakeholders. In reference to the recommendation by the Swiss Commission for Fairness in Advertising, FIFA is analysing the reasons for its recommendation, which may still be appealed.”