Climate neutral World Cup: Various environmental groups have been proven right by the Swiss advertising watchdog on Tuesday. He ruled that FIFA should never have labeled the world championship in Qatar as ‘climate neutral’.
FIFA guilty: World Cup wrongly labeled ‘climate neutral’
That was misleading, the watchdog believes, because it is not at all clear whether the climate impact of the tournament can be undone. FIFA should refrain from making any such claims in the future unless it can provide a full justification for its calculation, based on generally accepted methods, at the time of communication.
In the ruling, the Swiss advertising watchdog stated that “FIFA gave the false and misleading impression that the World Cup in Qatar had already achieved climate neutrality before and during the World Cup.” They also stated that FIFA had not “provided credible evidence of how all CO2 emissions from this tournament could be offset in line with Swiss standards”.
“This is a very important decision,” said Frank Huisingh of Fossil Free Football, a group of concerned football fans who want to remove climate-damaging issues from football and make football fossil-free. “It is now time for FIFA to start serious climate policy,” he added.
The case against FIFA was brought by, among others, the Dutch Fossil Free Football and Advertising Fossil Free. Groups from Belgium, France, the United Kingdom and Switzerland also took action.
Piqué targets Barcelona: “Wonder who should leave now”
Speaking of the World Cup and accusations, former world champion Gerard Piqué has slammed his former employer Barcelona after the departures of a number of club legends this season, which he says have been blamed for the club’s ongoing financial problems.
Piqué hung up his shoes for good earlier in the 2022-23 season. Before captain Sergio Busquets and veteran Jordi Alba announced. They would be leaving Camp Nou at the end of the season.
“I’m glad I left because I’ve given Barça some room in the salary system,” 36-year-old Piqué told YouTuber Ibai Llanos. “But it seems that despite this there are still financial problems. I wonder who should go now. They said we are responsible because of our salaries. Now we’re all gone and they still can’t sign any players.”
On November 5, the defender played his 606th and last game in the shirt of Barcelona. He immediately put an end to his career. Busquet and Alba are looking for a new employer.
