Nathalie Durand
A l’origine maître d’armes, Nathalie Durand enseigne l’escrime pour les valides et les handisports. Diplômée en management international du sport, elle mène depuis 1996 des études et des actions concrètes sur le terrain autour de la thématique du sport et du DD, renforcés par la création en 2006 de l’Observatoire Sport et Développement Durable.
Jeffrey David Sachs (United States): Distinguished American economist. Mr Sachs is Director of the Earth Institute, as well as a professor of sustainable development and health policy and management...
A l’origine maître d’armes, Nathalie Durand enseigne l’escrime pour les valides et les handisports. Diplômée en management international du sport, elle mène depuis 1996 des études et des actions...
Serge Orru est le directeur général du WWF France.Photo : © AFP PHOTO FRANK PERRY
Andrew Simms (United Kingdom): New Economic Foundation’s (NEF) Policy Director and head of the Climate Change program at the Centre for Global Interdependence. He has worked for a variety of...
Carl Zimmer travaille comme journaliste spécialiste des questions scientifiques et environnementales. Il a rédigé 6 livres et s’intéresse à des domaines aussi variés que la recherche dans les...
Elisabeth Rosenthal has covered international environmental issues for the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune for the last three years, traveling extensively to report on...
George Monbiot is a well-known investigation reporter and columnist for the British newspaper “The Guardian” as well as a member of the BBC Wildlife magazine’s advisory board. He is also the author...
Edgar Morin is a sociologist and a philosopher. He is the author of “Pour entrer dans le XXIe” (Entering the XXIst century) (Seuil, 2004)
Paul and Anne Ehrlich are in the Department of Biology and the Center for Conservation Biology at Stanford University, where he is Bing Professor of Population Studies and Professor of Biological...
Yann Arthus-Bertrand is a famous photographer. He has always had a passion for the animal world and the natural environment. In 1991 he founded Altitude, the world’s first aerial photography agency...
Professor emeritus in economy at Université de Lille 1, he is a member of the French CNIS (National Council of statistical information) and of the Stiglitz' commission, which shoud propose new...
Jean-Michel SEVERINO has been CEO of France’s international development agency (AFD) since 2001. After graduating from the Ecole Nationale d’Administration and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de...
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It was founded on 16 October 1945 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. In 1951 its...
Tony Juniper is a recognized environmentalist, author and news analyst. He served as Director of Friends of the Earth-UK and Vice-Chair of Friends of the Earth International from 2000 to 2008. Photo...
Serge Latouche is emeritus professor of economy at the University of Paris. He is also a spokesman of the degrowth theory. He chairs the Groupe de recherche en anthropologie, épistémologie et...
World Cup: environmental red card?
The second round of the World Cup began this weekend and it is the perfect occasion to take a look at the impact such a sporting event can have on the environment, explains Nathalie Durand, the managing director of the French Observatory of Sport and Sustainable Development.
What impact does an event like the World Cup have on the environment?
International sporting events are increasingly spectacular and their impact on the environment is therefore likely to be ever- increasing. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimated that 2.75 million tons of CO2 will be emitted during the World Cup compared to 1.18 million during the Olympic Games in Beijing last year. Moreover, there will be consequences in terms of waste and water consumption, and there will also be social consequences. The country could be turned into a huge theme park and people might forget about the local population.
Did the organisers take steps to make sure the World Cup would be mindful of the population and the environment ?
These matters are gradually growing in prominence. The FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa and the city of Cape Town joined forces for the "Green Goal 2010" program (1) to reduce waste, promote ecotourism, install energy-saving urban equipment, plant trees in host towns… Moreover, the stadiums were built with these factors in mind. In Durban for example, energy efficiency has been improved and a reservoir has been installed to collect rainwater and recycle water used for watering. But the effort must be shared : being a supporter does not merely boil down to admiring performances. Sport goes hand in hand with values like solidarity and ethics and everyone, from organisers and sportsmen to the public, should remain true to this spirit.
So it’s more of a ‘green card’ then?
No, because the actions are not yet wide-ranging enough and there is no global strategy. A few examples : the thousands of jobs that were created are temporary and badly paid. Pedlars are not allowed near the stadium, the tickets are too expensive for most South Africans and there is a stark contrast between the brand new stadiums and neighbouring housing with no water or electricity.
Moreover, according to Raquel Rolnik, a UN expert on Human Rights, at least 20 000 people were evicted from Cape Town because of the World Cup. All this also raises questions on the long term use of the new equipment and the effect it will have on local populations.
However, the media exposure of an event like the World Cup can be used to further certain causes. It is estimated that the event will attract 35 billion viewers. That is 5 billion more than in 1998. Hence why the United Nations took advantage of the World Cup to launch the "1 goal: Education for All" campaign.
(1) Supported and funded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
Interview by Caroline Hocquard.
This interview is taken from the 14th issue of Néoplanète.
]
