Greenwashing the World Cup

Well, that was a phenomenal World Cup. I’ve been an Argentina fan for a long time and that was the most dramatic fashion I could’ve seen on the path to Campeones del Mundo.

On the other hand, the World Cup itself… the logistics, politics, environmental concerns, and social issues… that wasn’t as celebratory.

I’ve learned a lot over the past few months about a lot of the question marks surrounding Qatar’s rise to prominence and their global spending spree. From the inhumane work conditions that built the stadiums to the anti-LGBT regulations to all the bribes and scandals behind the scenes at FIFA.

I’ve seen a lot of great videos and podcasts breaking down those things, but I decided to dig into one more specific aspect of the Mundial… the environment. More specifically, Qatar’s suspect claim that this World Cup would be a carbon neutral event. This raises the question… can someone ever truly be carbon neutral?

I know the 2022 Cup is in the rearview now, but these questions aren’t going away. The mistreatment of migrant workers, the questions around carbon offsetting, and the way we approach nations with anti-LGBT policies… those questions remain.