FIFA first sports body to sign up to UN climate campaign

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Baku - Football's world governing body, FIFA, has become the first international sports organisation to commit to a UN campaign to combat climate change.

FIFA joined the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Secretariat’s initiative, Climate Neutral Now. By joining the campaign, FIFA has pledged to continue to strive towards becoming greenhouse gas emission-neutral by the mid-21st century and has committed, as it did in Brazil in 2014, to measuring, reducing and offsetting all of its greenhouse gas emissions at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, the organisation said on its website.

“Each one of us, as well as every organisation, has to take responsibility for the world we live in and lead by example. Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time, and we are proud to commit to this cause.

“Beyond the pledge and through the power of football, we also aim to inspire greater awareness and best practices in sustainability standards,” said FIFA’s Secretary General, Fatma Samoura, who announced the collaboration during a handover ceremony of the pledge at the UN headquarters in New York.

The Climate Neutral Now initiative represents a global community of organisations committed to becoming climate-neutral by the second half of the 21st century. Climate Neutral Now calls on organisations and individuals to measure, reduce and report greenhouse gas emissions and compensate those that cannot be avoided with UN-certified emission reductions.

The initiative was launched in September 2015 by a founding group of organisations that included Microsoft, Sony, the Adidas Group and Marks & Spencer. – SAnews.gov.za-AZERTAC