The world’s eyes will be on South Africa in 1 week! You can feel the excitement building! The 2010 FIFA World Cup™ presents a wonderful opportunity for South Africa to showcase our vuvuzelas and national pride, but more than this, it is an opportunity to showcase the natural beauty of our country.
Like any major fixture involving large crowds of people and infrastructure there is a cost: the environmental impact. One feasibility study found that the 2010 event will generate a staggering 2.8 million tons of carbon emissions, largely due to the long-haul air travel. This is nearly 10 times the amount produced during the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
South Africa has faced up to its ecological obligations by taking a number of measures to limit these impacts. Clearly that not only makes good sense from an environmental perspective, but also from a reputational one.
There is a national Green Goal 2010 Programme, with all of the nine host cities pledging their support. The programme, being led by the Department of Environmental Affairs and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the World Cup, is modelled on the 2006 Green Goal initiative in Germany.
World Cup Local Organising Committee CEO, Danny Jordaan said the green initiative would not only focus on the World Cup’s impact on the environment. “It will also focus on how we can improve it by planting trees, managing waste and conserving water.”
The City of Cape Town launched its own Green Goal 2010 Action Plan in October 2008. As part of this plan, the first phase of the integrated rapid transit (IRT) system will be in place for the start of the World Cup, while a new bicycle and pedestrian route is also being constructed around the stadium as part of the larger non-motorised transport network.
Other greening measures include biodegradable packaging for takeaways, separate bins for recyclable and non-recyclable litter at the fan parks and stadiums, installation of water-saving devices at stadiums and the promotion of non-motorised transport.
The main objectives of the implementation of the Green Goal programme in Cape Town and Western Cape are the greening of the 2010 Fifa World Cup event footprints and leaving a positive and lasting environmental legacy.
Nine Green Goal target areas have been identified:
• Energy conservation and climate change
Minimise the carbon footprint of the 2010 event.
• Water
Minimise the use of potable water and promote conservation of water resources.
• Integrated waste management
Reduce, reuse and recycle waste.
• Transport, mobility and access
Promote energy efficient and universally accessible means of transport that also minimise air pollution.
• Landscaping and biodiversity
Promote indigenous landscaping and enhance biodiversity.
• Green building and sustainable lifestyles
Promote environmental awareness, sustainable lifestyles and environmentally efficient building practices.
• Responsible Tourism
Promote responsible tourism for 2010 and beyond.
• Green Goal Communications
Communicate the message of Green Goal to residents and visitors.
• Monitoring and measurement and reporting
Monitor, measure and report on progress with the implementation of Green Goal.
Cape Town’s Green Goal 2010, recently won the coveted Impumelelo Sustainability Award. (http://www.impumelelo.org.za/ )
You can read more about Cape Town’s Green Goal on their website.
For more information on Green Goal’s Water Conservation initiatives click here.
The Cape Town Green Goal website has some great resources for download as PDF:
- 2010 Green Goal Action Plan
- 2010 Green Goal Progress Report
- Cape Town Green Map
- Water Use and Management: Guidelines for Hospitality Industry
