Swiss advertising commission opens proceedings against FIFA
Tens of thousands of people travelled to the tournament by plane. FIFA and the host Qatar compensated for climate-damaging CO2 emissions.
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Complaint proceedings have been opened in Switzerland against the world football federation (FIFA) for possible unfair climate promises.
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The Swiss Fairness Commission – a self-regulatory body of the communications industry – is investigating whether the association marketed the World Cup in Qatar as too environmentally friendly.
Confirming a newspaper report on Sunday, Marc Schwenninger, managing director of the Foundation for Fairness in Commercial Communication said such a case is pending with the commission.
Schwenninger declined to give any further details about the investigation which might take months, according to experts.
Climate greenwashing
However, the newspaper said a network of climate action groups, is behind the complaint. The Climate Alliance accuses FIFA of using climate greenwashing methods to present an environmentally friendly image to the public without sufficient evidence.
The Zurich-based FIFA has been promoting the World Cup on its website as the first “completely climate-neutral tournament”.
New, air-conditioned stadiums and extensive infrastructure were built in the desert emirate of Qatar for the major sporting event, which ended a week ago.
Tens of thousands of people travelled to the tournament by plane. FIFA and the host Qatar compensated for climate-damaging CO2 emissions, for example, by purchasing emission rights and through compensation programmes.
However, several media and environmentalists have claimed in recent months that the climate promise made by the tournament organisers was false. For the time being, no statement was available from FIFA.
The fairness commission issues recommendations, but no state-enforceable judgements. However, according to the commission, the complainants usually implement its recommendations voluntarily.
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