Green Goal

It has been a while I haven’t update my Blog. Last week was the final week of semester and I was so busy with all presentations and assignments in last few weeks. My work doesn’t final yet as I still have one 4000 essay to go. This week seems much busier…not because of study but the World Cup!! Vive de fútbol!

As Australia also participate in this year (after missing the competition for 32 years), the Aussies are just suddenly being so crazy about this sport. Everything here, news, commercial or non-commercial stuff etc, are link with the competition to draw people’s attention. Similar situation in Hong Kong as the World Cup fever is just sweeping across the city and driving almost everyone crazy. So do I.

Some environmental protection project is also taking in place with this soccer fever as it can probably yield twice the result with half the effort when everyone’s attention is on the topic. A Green Goal™ was piloted in The 2006 FIFA World Cup™ which is assigned a central role to protecting the global climate. For the first time ever at a FIFA World Cup, the event’s effect on the climate will be minimized by conventional methods of energy efficiency, use of renewable energy sources and support for environment-friendly transportation. Unavoidable greenhouse gases, emitted throughout Germany, will be balanced by investment in climate projects, ensuring the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ ends up "climate neutral". Tight, measurable targets also set to minimize the environmental impacts from this sports event. For example, they set rules to restrict plastics, food and drink packaging and promotional items in the stadiums and introduce high-tech energy management systems to reduce 20 per cent in electricity consumption on both and match and non-match days.

It is a very positive and effective strategy to incorporate environmental considerations into the World Cup and I can see including environmental impacts and considerations are increasingly being factored into important sporting events. What an uplifting news for the environment! Although it is very possible they are not doing as good as they can, but at least they moved the first step!

Link: 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany: Green Goal