The United States Bid

in 2018/2022
to Host the FIFA World Cup™
The United States Bid
to Host the FIFA World Cup™
in 2018/2022
4
Sustainable Social
and Human Development
4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4

4.5
Introduction

International Impact

National Impact

Global Grassroots Impact

Social Legacies of a FIFA World Cup™ in the U.S.

4.1
Introduction

More than 3.9 million children play football in the U.S.A.

This allows the sport to make a significant positive impact on society.
 n 2000, the United Nations The U.S. will
made a pledge to change use football to
educate one
the world as we know it. football fan at
Having identified the eight a time. Taking a
greatest challenges facing cue from our own
the developing world, it history as well
as the example
formulated ambitious set by President
measures to eradicate those Barack Obama,
challenges by 2015. the FIFA World
Cup™ will help
“I strongly commend FIFA for its initiative
In 2001, the United
Nations formally adopted
the U.S. reconnect
with people –
to harness the world’s passion for
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Just child by child, football and the World Cup to promote
two years later, the General Assembly adopted one by one –
Resolution 58/5 on the use of sport “as a means across the world. sustainable development in communities
to promote education, health, development and around the world, and I applaud the
peace” and as a “powerful vehicle that should U.S.A. for making it a cornerstone of its
be increasingly considered by the United Nations
as complementary to existing activities,” thus bid. I look forward to collaborating
inextricably linking sport and sustainable with FIFA on football-based sustainable
development in the world’s eyes.
The United Nations furthered that view when
development programs that will advance
it declared 2005 the “International Year of Sport the Millennium Development Goals
and Physical Education.” While FIFA had been and empower youth worldwide to help
using football as a vehicle for social development
for more than a decade, it established its seminal themselves, their communities,
“Football for Hope” program that same year. and the world.” — Renowned economist
The die for using football as a path to a better
future was cast.
and Special UN Advisor, Dr. Jeffrey D. Sachs,
the director of the Earth Institute

246 sus ta i n a bl e so ci a l a n d h u m a n de v el opm en t 247

 In collaboration with FIFA, the
United States seeks to build upon
these important global achievements
in proposing a social responsibility
program for the 2018/2022 FIFA
World Cup™.
According to the United Nations
Sport for Children and Youth Report
(2006), “Today’s children and youth
represent the single largest cohort
of young people in history. There are
2.2 billion children and 1.5 billion
youth in the world today. Of these, 1.9
billion and 1.3 billion respectively live
in developing countries. Together,
these young people represent an
unprecedented opportunity to
reduce global poverty and advance
development.”
Just as these young people represent
an unprecedented opportunity to
advance social development, so
too does the game of football. The
beautiful game is often called the
“great equalizer,” a simple game with
minimal equipment costs and hence
low financial barriers to participation.
Like a universal language, it bridges
cultural differences and provides
democratic opportunity for all.
A FIFA World Cup™ in the United
States presents a unique opportunity
to unite the beautiful game and the
children of the world in a single
purpose. Like football, the U.S. is not
about what separates people, but
about what brings them together,
and we will use this unifying force as
a rallying cry to bring about positive
social change.
The U.S. Vision for a Socially
Responsible World Cup
The United States envisions a world
that is home to healthy and sustainable
communities – one that harnesses
the drive and cultural richness of
its diversity and places a premium
on nurturing young people through
opportunities for education and public
service. Our plan for a FIFA World
Cup™ embraces these principles and
puts them into action.
248 sus ta i n a bl e so ci a l a n d h u m a n de v el opm en t
The issues of social responsibility
are vast, complex, and interrelated.
Providing children with adequate
nurturing, nutrition, and health care
can help reduce social and economic
disparities and promote social
inclusion. Sports offer children a
healthy start by providing them with
information, skills, resources, and
the support necessary to navigate
life successfully.
To deliver on the hope and promise
of a FIFA World Cup™, the U.S. has
developed an approach based on
lessons learned from existing, long-
standing American initiatives such as
the Peace Corps and the International
Sister Cities program. In addition, we
have consulted extensively with some
of the world’s leading Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) organizations in
developing our proposals.
If awarded the FIFA World Cup™
in 2018/2022, the U.S. will embark
upon the largest-ever coordinated CSR
initiative linked to a sporting event. We
will do so under a concept we call “One
on One, One by One” that involves cities,
schools, teams, athletes, sponsors, and
even countries in creating partnerships
and adopting meaningful causes.
Football for Hope
FIFA has already achieved many
great things by using football to help
bring about positive change with its
multi-faceted “Football for Hope”
movement. As articulated by FIFA,
the aim of Football for Hope is “to
create a better future through the
medium of football.” The objective of
Football for Hope is to “bring together,
support, advise, and strengthen
sustainable social and human
development programmes in the areas
of peace promotion, children’s rights
and education, health promotion,
anti-discrimination and social
integration, and the environment.
These programmes must be aimed at
children and young people, and use
football as an instrument to promote
participation and dialogue.”
Sustainability
in Action
Kansas City adheres to
the 2006 International
Energy Conservation
Code (IECC) standards
for new construction and
renovations.
Like football, the One current as well as future needed revenue to help
on One, One by One generations. us address our ambitious
concept is simple but As a symbol of our goals. Renowned artists,
extremely powerful. It One on One, One by celebrities, and football
is easy to communicate, One philosophy, the U.S. stars will be asked to wear
but highly profound. As will also create a themed the bracelet as a symbol of
we will show, it has also FIFA World Cup™ bracelet, their commitment to taking
proved an effective means similar to the Lance steps “One on One, One by
of encouraging individual Armstrong “Livestrong” One” to support our cause.
actions to achieve common Foundation bracelet, which The U.S. also suggests
goals. Imagine pairing has sold 250 million units approaching FIFA’s
brother with brother, and raised more than $200 global partners, which
sister with sister, the million for cancer research. could support the bracelet
fortunate with the less These bracelets will initiative with their large
fortunate. Taken together, symbolize the power of employee bases as well as
these individuals and taking action and will their global distribution
their actions can have a help raise awareness networks.
profound effect and create of the MDGs; they will
longstanding legacies for also generate much-
Like football,
the U.S. is not
about what
separates people,
but about what
brings them
together, and
we will use this
unifying force
as a rallying
cry to bring
about positive The One on One , One by One bracelet will raise awareness
social change. and help support the World Cup CSR initiatives.
249
 Football for Hope’s current
ground-breaking program
includes a partnership with the
Streetfootballworld network of
organizations; the 20 Centres for
2010 in South Africa; the “One Goal”
program for universal education; the
Sports for Youth initiative in Latin
America; and the Nothing But Nets
malaria-prevention program
in conjunction with the United
Nations Foundation.
The Role of Education
The U.S. would like to use the power
of the FIFA World Cup™ to expand
the vision behind Football for Hope
by educating and empowering people
to take action. While our country is
blessed with many advantages, we
have some startling instances of
poverty and social disenfranchisement
in our inner cities and rural areas.
Just as education can bring issues
like poverty to light, the surest path
out of poverty is education. The 1959
United Nations Declaration of the
Rights of the Child long ago recognized
every child’s right to recreation and
play, proper nutrition and health care,
and education “rights” facilitated by
sports such as football.
In that regard, football is perhaps
more promising than other sports,
since it is simultaneously “macro” and
“micro:” macro because it is played in
more countries than any other sport,
and micro because it is intensely
personal. That combination makes
football a unique and formidable
tool to affect children on both an
individual level and on a broader,
more sweeping scale. The U.S. will
maximize that opportunity if selected
to host the FIFA World Cup™.
250 sus ta i n a bl e so ci a l a n d h u m a n de v el opm en t
Yet the FIFA World Cup™ in the The U.S. will
U.S. is not a vision for eight to 12 years
create “annual
from now. If we are granted the honor
of hosting the event, the legacy will
stepping stones”
start as soon as a FIFA World Cup™ is and develop
awarded. As noted in Chapter 5, the U.S. platforms that
will create “annual stepping stones” start in 2012
and develop platforms that start in 2012 and run through
and run through 2018 or 2022 to create 2018/2022 to
an event of profound impact.
create an event of
We will leverage our existing
partnerships and develop new strategic
profound impact.
alliances to extend the reach and
impact of FIFA, its partners, and
Football for Hope. We will join with
non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), sponsors, schools, and the Grassroot Soccer is an American program that helps others
like – entities with core competencies around the globe through the power of football.
in business, sustainable development,
and education – to create a new
network of partners using football to The U.S.A. is already an Grassroot Soccer Copa NYC Urban Soccer
further social and human development. active player ● Field of influence: ● Field of influence: Collaborative (USC)
We will leverage existing infrastructure Health Promotion (focus Social Integration ● Fields of influence:
and time-tested strategies rather than Thanks to football, a wide on HIV/AIDS prevention) ● Geographic reach: Various
simply building our own. And we will range of Americans already ● Geographic reach: New York City ● Geographic reach:
use proven best practices to execute impact various aspects South Africa, Zambia, ● U.S. Ties: United States
and measure our results. of people’s every day Zimbabwe, and eight Based in NYC, this ● U.S. Ties:
Taken together, we are confident lives, from education to other countries organization was USC is primarily
that these efforts will make a FIFA health. We have seen that ● U.S. Ties: co-founded by two sponsored by the U.S.
World Cup™ in the U.S. the most most of their efforts and American co-founders Americans, Chris Noble Soccer Foundation and
comprehensive educational initiative programs are isolated and Tommy Clark, Ethan and Spencer Dormitzer serves as an umbrella
ever undertaken in sports. independent. Our goal is Zohn, and Kirk Friedrich association that in turn
A dedicated arm of the LOC to instill the One on One, have been instrumental Project Goal supports other football
management team will be solely One by One philosophy in developing ● Field of influence: organizations in the
focused on the Sustainable Social to enhance, unify, and the organization Youth Education United States
and Human Development legacy maximize their efforts with ● G eographic reach:
that a World Cup in the United a U.S.-hosted World Cup. Kick for Nick Foundation USA- Rhode Island and Soccer in the Streets
States will allow us to develop prior Here are some examples ● Field of Influence: Southern New England ● Field of influence:
to, during, and after the event itself. of these American efforts Equipment gathering ● U.S. Ties: Youth Life Enhancement
This management team will rely already in place around and distribution Project Goal’s regional ● G eographical reach:
on a steering committee that will the world: ● Geographic focus is in Southern New U.S. urban communities
be created through the integration reach: Iraq England in the U.S. ● U.S. Ties:
of representatives from all of the ● U.S. Ties: Based in Atlanta,
different entities involved, ranging Founder Ken Darley of the organization
from FIFA, the LOC, the LOC’s Wilton, Connecticut targets underserved
Chief Sustainability Officer, the U.S. was inspired to start communities and has
Soccer Federation, the U.S. Soccer the Foundation by the engaged children in
Foundation, Major League Soccer, story of Nick Madaras, more than 75 U.S. cities
and representatives of our proposed an American soldier and
Host Cities. The steering committee’s passionate football fan
main purpose will be to ensure who distributed footballs
alignment of our efforts. to Iraqi children as a
hobby but died in battle
251
 4.2
International Impact
The U.S. will Encourage People
to Address the Millennium
Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals
adopted in 2001 are the province of
the entire world, rich and poor alike.
From urban to rural dwellers, from the
educated to the uneducated, we will all
benefit when the MDGs are met. The
challenge is how to bring home to the
developed world the crises the MDGs
are intended to address. We feel that
our One on One, One by One philosophy
will help communicate and empower
individuals to make a small difference.
According to the United Nations
Millennium Campaign, the MDGs
have become the cornerstone of
development planning, performance
assessment, and public engagement in
the global fight against poverty. From
the Pope and the Catholic Church
to imams in Indonesia and Nigeria,
from superstars like Ronaldo, Bono,
and Angelina Jolie to street musicians
in Cape Town, the call of the MDGs
has blossomed into a massive global
movement striving to achieve a just
world without poverty.
While it is important to celebrate
the successes of the first 10 years, there
is no denying that progress has been
uneven across geographies and goals.
252 sus ta i n a bl e so ci a l a n d h u m a n de v el opm en t
Overall, the need for continued
public campaigning for the
MDGs remains high. The recent
economic crisis has made it even
more imperative to persist with the
awareness campaign and maintain aid
volume commitments.
These challenges may appear
insurmountable at times. This is
where a FIFA World Cup™ in the U.S.
offers the promise of the possible.
To confront these challenges, we
propose three flagship projects that,
paired with our One on One, One by One
philosophy and the unifying force of
football, will make an impact. Each of
them addresses the MDGs.
These projects are
highlighted below:
1) We propose to create a “World Cup
of Life” campaign, encouraging
people to “fill the World’s Cup” by
buying “water for life” for people in
the developing world. This program
will specifically focus on the issue of
water, targeting what we consider to
be at the root of all the MDGs.
The Millennium
Development
Goals:
1) Eradicate extreme
poverty and hunger
2) Achieve universal
primary education
3) Promote gender equality
and empower women
4) Reduce child mortality
5) Improve maternal health
6) Combat HIV/AIDS,
malaria, and other
diseases
7) Ensure environmental
sustainability
8) Develop a global Bono and Al Gore are among the public figures already supporting the MDGs.
partnership for
development
2) We propose to expand FIFA’s 3) We will use the powerful “One on
“20 Centres for 2010” concept to One, One by One” concept to create
all of FIFA’s Confederations by Football X-Change, a network that
supporting and incorporating the will help individuals, cities, teams,
spirit of football into the most athletes, and countries find “their
important multi-disciplinary perfect match,” whether it be
approach to the MDGs, the identifying programs to support,
Millennium Villages Project. or sharing best practices or even
Accordingly, we plan to work with micro-financing a specific initiative
THE GAME IS IN ME the prestigious economist and in their own community or the
— Binto Special UN Advisor, Dr. Jeffrey D. developing world.
Sachs, the director of the Earth
Institute at Columbia University, to Following are details behind
include an innovative and exciting these concepts.
football program in the design
of MDG-centered interventions
undertaken in the villages.
253

More than 1.1 billion people of the world’s population are without clean drinking water.
The World Cup of Life
The World Cup of Life concept is built
on two powerful ideas.
The first is to use the greatest
sporting event in the world to tackle the
most pressing issues of the developing
world, the United Nations’ Millennium
Development Goals. The U.S. has
the means and the responsibility to
take action. As noted, we believe that
focusing on the issue of water enables
us to have the greatest impact.
254 sus ta i n a bl e so ci a l a n d h u m a n de v el opm en t
Water is life. It is essential for
health, economic development,
women’s rights, and social
development. Without clean, available
water, we cannot eradicate hunger
and poverty; reduce child mortality;
combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other
diseases; promote sanitation; or
ensure environmental sustainability.
Nor can we promote gender equality or
empower women, since they are often
charged with finding and transporting
water for their families.
Our water experts have given us
grim numbers. They tell us that 40
percent of the world’s population –
approximately 2.5 billion people – lack
basic sanitation; that 20 percent of
the world’s population – more than
1.1 billion people – are without clean
drinking water; and that an estimated
4,500 children die from lack of clean
water every day.
At the same time, these experts
estimate that approximately $25 buys
one person “water for life.”
This leads to a second powerful
idea: the goal of providing water for
life for one person for each World Cup
ticket purchased. Thus the 2018/2022
FIFA World Cup™ in the U.S. will be
more than a game and will fulfill the
promise behind “Football for Hope.” It
will become the “World Cup of Life.”
Our goal is for a U.S.-hosted FIFA
World Cup™ to provide five million
people in the developing world
with water for life. To accomplish
this, we are proposing a surcharge
of 2.018 percent or 2.022 percent
on every World Cup ticket, which
will generate approximately $25
million dollars and will enable us to
finance the infrastructure needed to
provide one million people around
the world with water for life. We will
then challenge our target groups, the
media, and fans around the world
Areas of Physical and Economic
Water Scarcity
A U.S.-hosted
FIFA World Cup™
aspires to provide
five million people
in the developing
world with water Source: International Water Management Institute analysis done for the Comprehensive
for life. Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture using the Watersim model
to become “FIFA Change Makers”
and help “fill the World’s Cup” with
matching donations and engagement
opportunities, thus increasing that
figure as much as possible to reach our
target of five million people.
“FIFA Change Makers” is a concept
that will transform World Cup
attendees, viewers, fans, volunteers,
employees, and members of the FIFA
Family into champions of change,
empowering them to make a difference.
We will also engage FIFA Partners to
conduct matching campaigns with their
customers, employees, vendors, and
supply chains. And we will work with
FIFA to engage other members of the
FIFA Family, including athletes, teams,
and national federations, to embrace
this single, meaningful cause and make
a large-scale impact on the world.
● Little or No Water Scarcity
● Approaching Physical Water Scarcity
● Not Estimated
● Physical Water Scarcity
● Economical Water Scarcity
255
The Millennium Villages Project
Since 2004, the Millennium Villages
Project (MVP) has worked alongside
more than 100 communities in Africa
and the Caribbean to implement
projects that strengthen health,
agriculture, education, infrastructure,
and business development. Each
of the sites is located in a distinct
agro-ecological zone (arid or humid,
highland or lowland, grain producing
or pastoral) to reflect the range of
farming, water, and disease challenges
facing that area and to show how
tailored strategies can overcome each
environment’s inherent challenges.
The Earth Institute’s
Millennium Villages Project
provides a proven model
to leverage the U.S.A.’s goal
of hosting the World Cup
and helping the world
Source: The Earth Institute at Columbia University
256 sus ta i n a bl e so ci a l a n d h u m a n de v el opm en t
A cadre of specialists from the
Earth Institute and other collaborators
develop tailored programming
to target the complex social and
environmental concerns faced by
each community. Implementation
is managed by the local community,
in partnership with the United
Nations Development Program and
the Millennium Promise Alliance, an
NGO helping to manage the MVPs
throughout Africa. The MVP focuses
on participatory, community decision-
making, using improved technologies
and techniques such as agro-forestry,
insecticide-treated malaria bed
nets, antiretroviral drugs, and the
Internet. The MVP also has an urban
counterpart, the Millennium Cities
Initiative, which assists mid-sized
cities across the sub-Saharan region in
their efforts to achieve the MDGs.
Taking advantage The U.S. proposes to use the
of the eight- to popularity of football and the FIFA
World Cup™ to strengthen and
12-year build-up expand the MVPs’ science-based
before the event, initiatives. This would promote FIFA’s
this proposal goal of supporting a scientifically-
would allow a backed, vigorously monitored and
World Cup in evaluated program that has been
the U.S. to leave vetted by some of the pre-eminent
a truly global leaders in the field of sustainable
development. It would also allow
legacy. FIFA to expand upon the important
achievements of its “20 Centres for
2010” project in conjunction with the
2010 FIFA World Cup™. Reflecting the
urgency and significance we ascribe
to the MVP initiative, the LOC has
proposed allocating $5 million toward
this project.
Specifically, this proposal aims to
introduce an intensive football-backed
curriculum and nutritional support/
health package as an after-school
program in the villages served by the
Millennium Villages Project.
Furthermore, this program could
serve as a cornerstone for the evolution
of FIFA’s “20 Centres for 2010” concept;
by developing an MDG-centered
project in each of the remaining FIFA
Confederations, FIFA would be able
to expand upon its ground-breaking
initiatives in Africa. Taking advantage
of the eight- to 12-year build-up before
the event, this proposal would allow a
World Cup in the U.S. to leave a truly
global legacy.
A Targeted Approach: Achieving
the MDGs by focusing on
Education and Health
While all the MDGs will likely
be affected, this proposal aims
primarily to strengthen the health
and educational MDGs for youths
between 10 and 14 in its first years of
implementation. At this age, youth are
at risk of leaving school, prematurely
joining the work force, and engaging
in sexual activity and other risky
behaviors. It is vital to reach this age
group with appropriate educational
outreach covering reproductive
health and gender-specific education.
Football provides a powerful forum for
discussion of serious topics with these
young people.
Trained coaches can play a
protective and mentoring role and can
be powerful role models. That is why it
is important to recruit male and female
coaches who will have responsibilities
for both training and education.
257
Targeted Outcomes
Reducing hunger and malnutrition
among youth in intervention areas. As the
number one MDG and a critical issue
inseparable from a spectrum of health
and social problems, great emphasis
will be placed on using football to
spur discussion and actions that help
combat hunger and malnutrition.
Increasing youth participation in formal
education and reducing dropout rates.
By ensuring that only students can
participate in the football activities,
the program aims to compel children
to attend school. The school-based
meals and nutritional curricula will
also operate at the school level and
offer students an additional incentive
to ensure they remain engaged.
Finally, coaches and assistant coaches
will help tutor children before and
after training sessions to ensure they
remain in good academic standing.
258 sus ta i n a bl e so ci a l a n d h u m a n de v el opm en t
Improving gender equality. Football Sustainability
has proved to be a powerful tool in Action
in helping girls gain self-esteem Miami is one of three
and learn more about their own U.S. cities with a
interests. The popularity and sustainability office inside
success of the women’s game in the the Mayor’s office.
U.S. shows first-hand the impact
the sport can have. The project will
create gathering spaces for girls that The
Game Is
will allow them to discuss “taboo”
subjects with a trained female
In me
coach. Through football, girls can
also expand their social networks,
gain freedom of expression and — Marsha Capoluongo
movement, and build a sense of
entitlement and ownership of their
bodies. The program will also focus
boys’ attention on healthier choices.
While enjoying their passion
for football, boys will learn the
capabilities and contributions of
girls and women, which in turn can
help reshape male perceptions of
appropriate female roles.
Making progress toward the health
MDGs by facilitating awareness of
and access to health care. Before-
or after-training education
modules will focus on topics such
as HIV/AIDS, malaria, nutrition,
reproductive health, preventing
risky behaviors, and water
sanitation. Educational programs
will encourage use of existing
health care interventions at the
Millennium Villages and nearby
locations, and will include input
from local nurses and doctors to
de-stigmatize use of the formal
health system.
259
FIFA’s Football X-Change
Continuing with our philosophy of One
on One, One by One, the LOC will create
an online platform for fans around
the world to educate themselves and
become empowered to take action.
Using the latest social networking
technology and emulating a proven
model such as the Sister Cities
International (see background later
in this chapter), we will seek to foster
positive change through the power of
football by matching individuals and
entities around the globe with projects
in the developing world.
Matching programs have already
proved successful with the U.S.
football community. For instance,
Passback, a signature U.S. Soccer
Foundation program, currently uses
online databases and networking
to provide hundreds of thousands
of pieces of football equipment to
those in need. The program has not
only demonstrated that there are
thousands of youth who love football
and lack the basic necessities to play,
but that they are “matched” by just as
many people who want to help them.
Passback has developed a national
network of volunteers (mostly
high school and middle school
students), who collect equipment for
redistribution to the less fortunate.
Hosting the World Cup could provide
the springboard to expand and adapt
this concept to engage young adults to
“pass back” their time and knowledge
to create a flow of ideas from city to
city and continent to continent. This
“twinning” concept lends itself to
many different iterations:
260 sus ta i n a bl e so ci a l a n d h u m a n de v el opm en t
● Schools in the U.S. (primarily The flagship
universities and high schools)
programs
could be matched with those
in developing countries using
proposed by
the Football X-Change network. the U.S. will for
Through these communications, the first time
themes will be selected (e.g., clean empower people
water, food supply, sanitation) – One on One,
for an exchange of education One by One – to
and ideas. This could create
take responsibility
lasting relationships between
school districts and countries.
and play a part in
Competition between school helping to make
districts could also be created. the world a better
place through
● Each of the 208 FIFA countries the common force
could be challenged to propose one of football.
matching program for their nation.
● Football teams or select
athletes could be matched
with community projects.
● U.S. companies and sponsors could
“adopt” a local village. Exchanging
best practices and bridging divides
could have a tremendous impact.
One on One, One by One we plan to educate, inspire and empower.
History shows us time and time
again that simple actions – One
on One, One by One – can make a
lasting impact, particularly on youth.
Numerous models already exist that
demonstrate the effectiveness of
matchmaking across borders as a
means of achieving larger social goals.
This is as true on the football pitch as
it is in the larger world.
The flagship programs proposed
by the U.S.A. will for the first time
empower people – One on One, One by
One – to take responsibility and play Sustainability
a part in helping to make the world in Action
a better place through the common The city of Seattle has
force of football. Football X-Change will serve as a social network to match
undertaken an aggressive
causes, programs and individuals around the world.
recycling campaign, and has
recently added a composting
element to it. Qwest Field
is committed to meeting
a 60 percent recycling/
composting goal by the time
of a FIFA World Cup™.
261
 4.3
National Impact:
Utilizing Football to Strengthen
U.S. Communities
We will use the positive
influence of the world’s greatest
sporting event to promote health
and social harmony in the U.S.A.
As noted at the outset, the surest path
out of poverty is education. The FIFA
World Cup™ will help the U.S. connect
with people, One on One, One by One.
And like the “butterfly effect,” those
single acts of enlightenment will help
light up the world.
The U.S. sees the FIFA World Cup™
as a teaching moment, an extraordinary
opportunity to bring together youth
from different races and classes and to
introduce a broad spectrum of practices
that can lead to the “healthy minds and
healthy bodies” ideal embodied by the
sport of football.
This section explains how we will
utilize football and the FIFA World
Cup™ to promote healthy lifestyles
and target several of the most pressing
issues in our own country.
Social and health issues in our
country are so tightly interconnected
that it is impossible to address
one without addressing the other.
Accordingly, our proposed concepts
complement one another and in
some cases overlap. This was done to
give FIFA the flexibility to select the
aspects it feels best capture the spirit
of “Football for Hope” and offer the
greatest potential impact.
262 sus ta i n a bl e so ci a l a n d h u m a n de v el opm en t
Hosting a FIFA World Cup™ will
allow the U.S. to further employ
the platform of football to target
anti-social behaviors such as
discrimination and social intolerance;
to address the epidemic of childhood
obesity, which threatens future
generations and is crippling the
American health care system; and to
address urban blight, which cultivates
destructive behaviors and is itself a
factor in the obesity epidemic. Given
its global nature, football lends
itself to easily teaching youth about
different countries, languages, and
cultures. It is also a means of shedding
light on issues such as discrimination,
which is still not properly addressed in
education to this day.
In order to deliver its programs,
the U.S. will create a multi-faceted
education initiative we’re calling
FIFA Football for Life, in honor of the
2018/2022 FIFA World Cup™. We
will weave educational components
through all of the national programs
proposed herein to ensure a lasting
legacy for the young people who will
become the next generation of leaders.
Our domestic initiatives focus on
the nation’s most pressing
social issues by addressing its
gravest health and social concerns
America’s most pressing social issue
today is health care. And America’s
gravest health issue is obesity, which is
now the most rapidly growing cause of
disease and death. Obesity has many
causes, including consumption of fast
food, the lack of nutritional knowledge,
and sedentary behavior. Approximately
one in six children suffers from a lack
of nutritious food due to the absence of
healthy options (or even a supermarket),
in many poorer neighborhoods. These
neighborhoods, sometimes called
“food deserts,” often lack after-school
programs and safe places to play, which
can lead young people to anti-social as
well as self-destructive behaviors.
Nearly one third of American
children and adolescents are
overweight or obese. This epidemic
is threatening the health and lives
of millions of people in this country
as well as in countries throughout
Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle
In order to deliver East. During the past four decades,
its programs, obesity rates have soared among
the U.S. will all age groups in the United States,
create a multi- increasing more than four-fold among
faceted education children ages 6 to 11. That translates
initiative we’re
calling FIFA
Football for Life, Childhood Obesity Prevalence, 1963–2006
in honor of the
2018 or 2022
FIFA World Cup™.
20%
We will weave
educational
components
through all of the
national programs 10 +325%
proposed herein
to ensure a lasting
legacy for the
0
young people who
1960–62 1966–70 1976–80
will become the
1963–65 1970–74
next generation
of leaders. Source: Source: CDC NHANES Data
to more than 23 million children and
teenagers in the U.S. alone.
Significant disparities exist within
these numbers. For example, 38
percent of Mexican-American children
and 34.9 percent of African-American
children ages 2 to 19 are overweight
or obese, compared to 30.7 percent of
white children in the same age range.
There are also significant disparities
in terms of access to healthy food and
safe places to play. A study of more than
200 neighborhoods found four times as
many supermarkets in predominantly
white neighborhoods as in black
neighborhoods, leaving many poorer
communities stranded in the “food
deserts” mentioned above. In addition,
communities with high levels of poverty
are significantly less likely to have
places where people can be physically
active, such as parks and playing fields.
The most alarming aspect of this
epidemic is the rapid rise of childhood
obesity, which has been linked to early
onset of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes has
substantial impacts on life expectancy
and quality of life. Further, obese and
overweight children are more likely to
suffer in the classroom. Obesity has
been linked to low school performances
as well as low self-esteem. Needless to
say, obesity also poses a tremendous
threat to the U.S. economy and health
● 2–5 Years
● 6–11 Years
● 12–19 Years
1988–94 2003–04
1999–2000 2005–06
263
care system. It is estimated that the
obesity epidemic costs the nation
$117 billion per year in direct medical
expenses and indirect costs, including
lost productivity. Childhood obesity
alone carries a huge price tag – up to
$14 billion per year in direct health
care costs.
Preventing obesity during
childhood is critical because adult
habits are frequently formed during
youth. If we do not act to reverse the
childhood obesity epidemic, the U.S. is
in danger of many disturbing potential
outcomes, among them raising the
first generation of American children
who may live sicker and die younger
than the generation before them.
U.S. Soccer and the U.S. Soccer
Foundation are uniquely positioned
to take a major role in this fight
given that a large segment of the
sport’s fan base is Hispanic, the
fastest-growing segment of the U.S.
population and a group that suffers
from discrimination as well as obesity.
According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), the rate
of adolescent male obesity is higher
among adolescent Mexican-Americans
(22.1 percent) than among non-
Hispanic whites (17.3 percent) and
African-Americans (18.5 percent).
In 2009, Major League Soccer
teamed up with Summer Bridge
Activities to launch the “Active bodies-
Active minds” program, a summer-
long initiative that promotes physical
and mental fitness through exercise
and reading programs for children.
This is an excellent start for a broader,
integrated initiative in conjunction
with the FIFA World Cup™ to address
nutrition and intolerance.
The U.S. sees the FIFA World Cup™
as a powerful way to invigorate our
cities and combat these crushing
issues at the same time. Under the
umbrella of FIFA Football for Life, the
U.S. proposes to develop a World Cup-
themed overlay onto a comprehensive
set of existing programs that have
already produced results and have the
infrastructure to deliver success.
264 sus ta i n a bl e so ci a l a n d h u m a n de v el opm en t
Football for Life - the FIFA
Education Initiative
The U.S. features one of the most
diverse cultures in the world. Through
a combination of jurisprudence
and legislation beginning with the
landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling
in Brown vs. Board of Education, and
carrying on through The Civil Rights
Act of 1964, discrimination based on
race, religion, sex, national origin,
and other characteristics became
illegal. While much has improved
in the last 45 years, the nation still
struggles with discrimination and
intolerance. According to a recent
report by the Civil Rights Project, some
40 percent of Latinos and 39 percent
of African Americans now attend de
facto segregated schools. The average
minority student is currently enrolled
in a school in which 60 percent of
students are from families who are
near or below the poverty line.
FIFA Football for Life will be
designed to align with ongoing U.S.
Soccer Foundation programs to either
support, complement, or expand these
programs, as well as help address
these issues through one multi-
pronged approach. And it will leverage
a full spectrum of existing education
programs at the state, federal, and
local levels to do so. The U.S. will
create a World Cup overlay to these
programs to enhance their appeal, and
offer them widely.
The FIFA Football for Life
educational initiative will be
conducted in partnership with our
Host Cities and will be based on three
successful models that exist today:
1) Play On! – a national initiative
to increase physical activity and
healthier lifestyles in urban schools
and communities.
2) Soccer for Success – an after-
school initiative that addresses
pressing social issues such
as discrimination, juvenile
crime/violence, and
educational attainment.
On February 9,
2010, United
States First Lady
Michelle Obama
launched the
“Let’s Move”
campaign, which
aims to eliminate
childhood obesity
in the U.S.
The proposed Host Cities will support the FIFA Football For Life initiative.
3) Places to Play – a program to activity for children in a fun and
increase the number of playing engaging context, help develop
fields in urban neighborhoods. lifelong habits for physical activity,
and build positive attitudes towards
The U.S. also proposes to introduce one’s body. They will also provide
an entirely new concept for FIFA to youth with the opportunity to be part
consider called the FIFA Institute for of a mixed team environment and
Social Change. This is a leadership have immediate access to coaches and
institution designed to capture the positive role models.
best practices related to football The key initiatives are
and sustainable social and human detailed below:
development, and to document the
impact that a FIFA World Cup™ in the Play On!
U.S. could have upon the world. Play On! is a free program that
In all cases the initiatives will leverages its relationship with the
be anchored by a robust FIFA child to connect with parents and
educational curriculum. achieve positive change in families
The curriculum will integrate and their communities. The program
football, health, nutrition, positive focuses on engaging children from
social behaviors, and empowerment disadvantaged urban communities
According to into the equation. To help combat in a fun, supervised, after-school
the Centers for obesity and its array of associated football program that teaches the
Disease Control problems, the programs will teach fundamentals of football, builds
and Prevention nutrition during school hours as well life skills, enhances self-confidence,
(CDC), the rate of as before football practice. In addition and promotes the benefits of proper
adolescent male to incorporating information for nutrition and maintaining a healthy
obesity is higher parents, they will promote physical lifestyle. Key components include:
among Hispanics:
● Mexican-Americans
22.1 %
● African-Americans
18.5 %
● Non-Hispanic whites
17.3 %
265
 Football Instruction. Skill
development and small-sided
games two or three days per week
after school. Instruction focuses
on teaching the fundamentals of
the game through skill-learning
activities and drills. Drills and
small-sided games are designed to
engage participants in moderate
to vigorous physical activity for 90
minutes each session.
Healthy Lifestyles. Taking part
in well-designed football play
will help children improve their
fitness levels and contribute
significantly to meeting the CDC-
recommended weekly requirement
for moderate to vigorous physical
activity. Age-appropriate health
and nutrition education messages
will be incorporated into the
program through coaches, school
nurses, and guest speakers from
the health profession. Free annual
health screenings will be provided
to economically-disadvantaged
players and their families.
Youth Development. In addition to
physical development, this program
will continue to enhance life
skills and academic performance.
Participants will take part in after-
school tutorial labs, homework
The assistance, and other school-based
Game Is
enrichment in addition to football.
In me
Leveraging Volunteers. The program
capitalizes on existing teachers
— Rio supported by local university
students, high school leaders,
and community volunteers. The
program partners with corporate
Sustainability sponsors and invites their
in Action employees to sign up as homework
Sustainability is an helpers, volunteer coaches/mentors,
academic subject and guest speakers (topics to
introduced to Baltimore
include healthy lifestyles, goal-
elementary school students,
and it will become a high setting, staying in school, etc.).
school subject, too, in 2011.
266 sus ta i n a bl e so ci a l a n d h u m a n de v el opm en t
Play On! builds coalitions by
engaging the resources of the U.S.
Soccer Foundation, federal agencies
such as the Departments of Education
and Health and Human Services,
public schools, community-based
organizations such as the Boys & Girls
Clubs, and grassroots community
members. In keeping with our
commitment to metrics and data
as a critical management tool, the
program features measurement tools
to help children track their health and
progress over the long-term.
Soccer for Success After-School
Football Initiative
Without structured, supervised
activities after school, youth are at
greater risk of participating in anti-
social behaviors or becoming victims
of crime. In fact, juveniles are at the
greatest risk of becoming a victim of
violence between 14:00. and 18:00.,
according to the Juvenile Justice Bulletin:
National Report Series by the Office
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention. The peak hour for juvenile
crime is from 15:00. to 16:00., the first
hour after most students have been
dismissed from school.
In honor of the FIFA World Cup™,
the U.S. will expand the current Soccer
for Success after-school initiative,
which addresses pressing social issues
such as discrimination, juvenile
crime/violence, and education. The
U.S. Soccer Foundation has already
demonstrated success in this area,
most visibly with America Scores, a
reading and literacy program that the
Foundation nurtured and supported
from a fledging Washington, D.C.,
initiative to a widely-recognized
national program today.
267
 Hosting a World Cup in the United
States will help garner the public
and government support necessary
to expand the fine work already
being done in this area. The focus of
individual programs and themes for
youth development will be determined
by the needs of each Host City. In Los
Angeles, for example, it may be gang
prevention. In Baltimore, it may be
educational attainment.
Places to Play
Education may happen everywhere
and anywhere, but sports-based
education initiatives require playing
fields to make their point. Urban
communities throughout the United
States suffer from policy and planning
decisions that have contributed to a
dearth of facilities for physical activity.
But local authorities nationwide have
increasingly engaged strategies such
as zoning, community advocacy, and
policy initiatives to create healthier
local communities.
With the World Cup as our
platform, the U.S. Soccer Foundation
will engage corporations,
government, other foundations,
and the public at large in a national
campaign to build 1,000 five-a-
side mini-pitches in inner-city
After school programs using football will address key issues
impacting children and youth today.
268 sus ta i n a bl e so ci a l a n d h u m a n de v el opm en t
neighborhoods. This will facilitate
pick-up football games and ensure
that a playing field is within easy
walking distance of home for children
in underserved communities.
The U.S. will also work in
partnership with our Host Cities, and
where possible include these national
football initiatives in the “green
zones” that some of these cities have
established. Green zones use place-
based sustainability as a means for
social, economic, and environmental
revitalization of highly distressed areas
of the urban core. Green zones feature
initiatives such as home weatherization
and building retrofits for energy
efficiency; funding from the U.S. Smart
Grid project; new economic investment
tools; workforce development, job
training, and green collar job creation;
and utilization of vacant lots as a
resource for community gardens and
playing fields. Green zones also focus
on public safety and education, a key
component of the U.S. plan.
This concept creates a nice bridge to
the environmental initiatives outlined
in Chapter 5. The work to build a
better America through football-based
initiatives and, of course, the sport of
football itself, will also help create a
platform to a better future.
The programs The FIFA Institute for Social
Change
of our proposed
Our final concept for this national
FIFA Football for section is the FIFA Institute for Social
Life education Change. The concept will blend theory
initiative will with practice to establish the world’s
activate the preeminent football education center.
largest population The FIFA Institute for Social Change
of youth football will become a thought leader and an
players in the “action tank” designed to identify
football-based practices, which, like
world, the nearly the game itself, will work anywhere in
four million young the world.
people who thrive Using football as the common
on the game in denominator, the FIFA Institute for
the U.S. Social Change will offer a variety
of services to help educators and
community groups:
● An Academic Center, posting leading
research in the field and offering
interdisciplinary coursework
● Policy Advocacy and Thought
Leadership, creating programs
modeled on the “U.S. President’s
Council on Physical Fitness,”
formerly chaired by Arnold
Schwarzenegger, a member of
the USA Bid Committee Board
of Directors
● Curriculum and materials
development and dissemination,
offering programs that use
football to cultivate leadership and
character-building skills in youth
● Excellence Incubation, promoting
cutting-edge urban development
strategies that focus on special
groups, such as new immigrants,
the disabled, and young girls
● Training, Technical Support, and
Strategic Advising, serving as an
adjunct resource for educational
organizations, non-profits and
various youth agencies
● Field Building, Network/Affinity
Group Creation and Management,
hosting conferences for students,
coaches and leaders of youth
sports organizations
● Designing and Managing National
Awards and Recognition Programs to
recognize leaders in this sector
The FIFA Institute for Social Change
will work with other organizations
and institutions dedicated to using
sport as a vehicle for peace and
social harmony. It will also be a
dynamic, living monument to FIFA’s
outstanding leadership in this area. In
its beginning stages, the FIFA Institute
for Social Change could reside in a
virtual online space and expand into a
physical location in the United States
at the appropriate point in time.
The programs of our proposed FIFA
Football for Life education initiative
will activate the largest population of
youth football players in the world, the
nearly four million young people who
thrive on the game in the U.S.
269
 4.4
Global Grassroots Impact
Tying it all Together:
Promoting Global Citizenship
Through Football
Global citizenship eclipses the power
of governments. In this final section,
we outline how the U.S. will use the
World Cup to galvanize individual
citizens to reach across borders and
harness their collective power for the
greater good of humanity.
The One on One, One by One
philosophy promotes the purest
sense of individual empowerment
though football. A natural extension
of this overarching philosophy is
volunteerism, already a hallmark of
American society.
The experience of volunteerism
combines powerful journeys of
individual discovery with meaningful
contributions and a sense of pride that
lasts a lifetime. Discovering first hand
that they can be agents of change for
their communities, football fans the
world over can become the informed
and engaged citizens the world
desperately needs.
270 sus ta i n a bl e so ci a l a n d h u m a n de v el opm en t
History of the U.S. in Social and
Human Development
Like its contributions to
environmental stewardship discussed
in Chapter 5, the United States has
a long and proud history of fighting
global poverty, hunger, and disease.
According to the Millennium
Development Goals Campaign, “In
partnership with other countries,
the U.S. has played a leading role in
dramatic improvements in health,
education, and income levels seen
in developing countries over the last
50 years. With an Obama presidency,
we currently have a tremendous
opportunity to leverage a system of
assistance that is shifting its priorities
to meeting the needs of the poor. This
is not an issue of charity, but rather
of helping to provide developing
countries the necessary tools to
achieve the MDGs and working to
ensure the U.S. policy agenda supports
the MDGs.”
The Peace Corps
Established in 1961, the Peace Corps is
an organization that sends American
volunteers around the globe to work
with governments, schools, nonprofit
organizations, and entrepreneurs in
areas such as education, business,
agriculture, and the environment.
Since President John F. Kennedy
intoned these famous words in his
inaugural address – “And so, my
fellow Americans: ask not what your
country can do for you – ask what you
can do for your country,” – hundreds
of thousands of Americans have
joined the Peace Corps, serving in 139
countries.
As described elsewhere in this bid
book, President Barack Obama has
embarked on a new period of global
engagement, and the United States
sees the FIFA World Cup™ as a perfect
opportunity to not only welcome the
world to its shores but also showcase
a reinvigorated sense of ourselves as
engaged citizens of the world.
Sister Cities
Introduced in 1956, the Sister City
program was President Dwight
Eisenhower’s concept to encourage
citizen diplomacy. Many early sister
city relationships formed out of the
post-World War II aid programs to
Western Europe. By 1981, 720 U.S. cities
representing 85 million citizens were
linked to more then 1,000 communities
in 77 nations.
Sister Cities created a vehicle for
cultural understanding, put a human
face to international news, and
stressed the commonality of urban
problems among international cities.
In essence, the concept highlighted the
interdependency of humanity. During
the 1980’s, a “municipal twinning”
developed, with city leaders focusing
on mutual relationships that offered
technical assistance in municipal
development. While approaches
and attitudes have changed, one
underlying theme remains: concerned
international citizens participating in
modern diplomacy. This country will
leverage this concept through the many
THE GAME IS IN ME ideas put forth for a U.S.-based FIFA
— Nick George World Cup™.
Other Contributors
Many U.S. corporations have a strong
commitment to CSR and have long
incorporated it into their operating
principles. According to the 2009 State
of Corporate Citizenship in the United
States Report, the majority of American
companies did not reduce their
commitment to corporate citizenship
practices in spite of the recession.
Several of these companies (including
many of FIFA’s Partners such as Coca-
Cola, which has made a commitment
to waste management and water
conservation) have existing corporate
citizenship programs upon which they
continue to expand. Other best-practice
examples include the Starbucks’ Ethos
Water program and the One for One
initiative from Toms Shoes.
Ethos Water was founded on a
dream to solve the world water crisis.
Purchased by Starbucks’ in 2005, the
two companies are committed to
raising awareness of the global water
crisis and empowering people to make
a difference with their water purchases.
Every time someone purchases Ethos
water, a portion of the sale goes
toward contributing $10 million to
humanitarian water programs by the
end of 2010.
Toms Shoes is an American
corporation founded on a simple but
powerful premise: with every pair
purchased, Toms gives a pair of new
shoes to a child in need. Toms donated
more than 300,000 pairs of shoes to
children in need in 2009 alone.
U.S. NGOs have also played a leading
role in championing global social issues,
and have created successful “matching
programs” that pair individuals in
need with those who want to help.
Just two examples: Volunteer Match,
which is currently working with the
U.S. Soccer Foundation, and Kiva.org,
a microfinance website that is further
highlighted in Chapter 5. Since its
launch in 2005, Kiva has loaned more
than $100 million to more than 250,000
entrepreneurs in 187 countries.
It should also be noted that
American private citizens have been
among the most generous in the world.
271
Our Proposed Grassroots FIFA World Football Jam
As the world has seen, hope and help
Initiatives
can fly on the wings of song.
In the spirit of our own history, the As of 2009, “We are the World,”
U.S. will use the FIFA World Cup™ the biggest-selling single recording
to inspire global citizenship without of all time, has sold more than 20
borders via three proposed concepts: million units and raised over $63
million for humanitarian aid in
1) We will create the FIFA World Africa. The historic recording, which
Football Jam, using music to engage was re-recorded in early 2010 to
youth at FIFA Fan Fests™ around benefit Haitian earthquake relief,
the world. brought together many of the most
famous musicians of the 1980s, and
2) We will mount a World Cup Citizens influenced the movement within pop
of the World Day, which we hope will music to create songs that address
become the single largest volunteer larger social issues.
event in history. Taking a cue from such efforts,
the U.S. proposes to create a series of
3) And finally, we will celebrate our major music/entertainment events
most vaunted volunteers with a FIFA across all of the FIFA Fan Fest™ venues
Humanitas Award. on non-match days. The FIFA World
Football Jam concept will leverage
Following are the details behind the enormously successful Fan Fests,
these concepts. creating tremendous visibility among
football and non-football fans alike
and educating and engaging youth in
our sustainability cause. The Fan Fest
events will incorporate the stadium
“FIFA Sustainability Expos” concept
referenced in the Environmental
Protection chapter and will feature
recycling, exposition, and planting
events to personally involve attendees.
The U.S. wants to use music and football to engage fans One on One, One by One.
272 sus ta i n a bl e so ci a l a n d h u m a n de v el opm en t
The U.S. will work with FIFA and its
partners, along with an organization
such as AEG/LiveNation on this
concept and arrange for the music acts
to rotate among the Fan Fest venues.
While providing cost efficiencies
for the venues, this will also create
significant sponsorship, licensing, and
merchandising opportunities for FIFA.
Extending the FIFA World Cup of Life
concept described earlier, we will sell
“World Cups” for water and hunger
at the FIFA Football Jam. “World
Cups” will be sustainable, reusable
and collectible cups, and their design
will make clear the cause to which
profits will go: investing in clean water,
helping to confront poverty, reducing
hunger, and achieving other MDGs.
FIFA World CupTM Citizens of the
World Day
As noted, the “World Cup Citizens of
the World” concept will harness the
passion for the world’s game to create
the single largest volunteer day in
world history.
Twenty-four hours prior to kick-off
of the FIFA World Cup™ in the U.S,
we will start a global “wave of peace
and volunteerism” to signal a different
kind of event, that of rebuilding our
own communities around the world.
Each participating entity – a national
association, a corporation, or a fan
group, for example – will choose
a cause of its own or one from the
“Volunteer Match” that pairs good
people with worthwhile causes.
To mark the spirit of global
The United States participation, each nation will do
proposes to bring the famous “football wave” at noon
local time. In turn, this wave of good
the MDG issues feeling, shared hope, and community
home to the effort will travel around the world. The
developed world immediate goal will be to generate
by personalizing awareness and participation by
them and seeking to break a Guinness World
demonstrating Record. The ultimate goal would be
how the efforts to encourage a tradition of caretaking
that will flourish well beyond the
of one person World Cup itself.
can change
another person’s
life forever.
FIFA Humanitas Award
From each one of us acting
individually and leading others to
do the same, good things follow.
As our final program, in the spirit
of the volunteerism, engagement,
and the One on One, One by One
philosophy that is championed
throughout this document, the
U.S. proposes the creation of a
prestigious FIFA Humanitas Award
to honor outstanding volunteers in
communities around the world.
After recognizing local heroes,
a national award will go to an
outstanding volunteer in each
nation nominated for exceptional
community service by his or her
peers. The recipient will be rewarded
with a free ticket to the Final of the
FIFA World Cup™, a dinner with the
FIFA President, and a donation to
the individual’s community effort.
This award will be a tribute to the
leadership that created Football for
Hope and turned the possibilities
represented by the sport of football
into reality.
The United States proposes to bring
the MDG issues home to the developed
world by personalizing them and
demonstrating how the efforts of one
person can change another person’s
life forever.
273
 4.5
Social Legacies of a
FIFA World Cup™ in the U.S.
Ambassadors of Humanity
Because of what is at stake, it is
vital that the 2018/2022 FIFA World
Cup™ declares bold goals. Our plan
is to encourage millions of people
directly – and billions indirectly – to
take meaningful action that can help
change their lives and play a role in
solving the world’s largest problems.
In short, we want to challenge them to
become ambassadors of humanity.
As we continue into this still
relatively new century, the U.S. looks to
the future in a different light, one that
gives people tools for change. We will
use the powerful platform of the FIFA
World Cup™ to expand the developed
world’s understanding of the MDGs
and support simple actions that can
have profound results.
Our Timeline
2012
FIFA World Cup
USA Sustainability Plan
Kicks Off
274 sus ta i n a bl e so ci a l a n d h u m a n de v el opm en t
Through the power of our citizenry,
we will challenge ourselves to go
beyond self-interest to shared
interests, and in the process attempt
to create a better world for ourselves
and our children.
The United States proposes
a framework that will help FIFA
make social change a defining
characteristic of the football world.
We will design a multi-faceted
program that will generate support
for Football for Hope and make the
2018/2022 FIFA World Cup™ one of
the most comprehensive educational
efforts in sports history. The One on
One, One by One theme will become
the underlying concept that allows
every citizen of the world to utilize
football as a tool of positive change.
2018 2022
Examples of other In 2009, the National On the international However, the power of
professional sports in the Football League launched level, education and football as a vehicle for
U.S. that have a history “NFL PLAY 60,” a national professional sports have youth and community
of social involvement campaign focused on also made powerful allies development has yet to
increasing the wellness of by addressing issues such be fully realized in the
In 2007, the National young fans by encouraging as racial and economic United States. Participation
Basketball Association, them to be active for at discrimination. Some opportunities are
in conjunction with the least 60 minutes a day. The best-practice examples inadequate, the reach of
Clinton Foundation and NFL has also introduced an include FIFA’s program many programs is limited,
the American Heart in-school curriculum, “What with streetfootballworld, and the efforts are rarely
Association, launched moves U,” in partnership the “Football Against aligned with a more
What FIFA holds the “NBA FIT Program.” with the American Heart Racism” initiative, as well purposeful agenda.
FIT is a league-wide, Association. The United as FIBA’s “Basketball A FIFA World Cup™
in its hands is not
comprehensive health and States Tennis Association without Borders” resolution in the United States will
simply a proposal wellness platform that has joined the battle tournaments. change that.
for what the encourages proper eating against childhood obesity
United States will habits and promotes as well, stating that their
do to advance exercise to children and “biggest competitor is
social and human young adults. passive activities.”
development with
a FIFA World
Cup™. The U.S. is
proposing to use
the FIFA World
Cup™ to launch
thousands of
new beginnings
around the
The funding of these bold initiatives which guarantees that our vision will
world, leveraging will require creative, collaborative live on long after the final whistle.
the passion in effort across many contributors. We As noted, the efforts behind a FIFA
every fan and have identified ticket surcharges, World Cup™ in the U.S. will not start
empowering him matching programs that tap into in 2018 or 2022. The work will start
or her to make public and private grant sources, and eight to 12 years before the event, and
a difference. also opportunities to work closely with leave a lasting legacy in hearts and
FIFA’s commercial affiliates, who will minds around the world.
Football is
hopefully identify our goals with their
the universal own. During the build-up to the World
language. There Cup, we will engage the support of each Paving the Path for
can be no better of our Host Cities, utilizing their unique
Through the a Lasting Legacy
ambassador for abilities to fund programs as well as the
power of our
the planet. inherent competitive process that will The concepts presented in this chapter
citizenry, be in place during the race to become are intended to form the basis of a
we will challenge one of the final 12 venues. For the MVP lasting social and human development
ourselves to project, we have gone one step further legacy as a result of a U.S.-based FIFA
go beyond self- and allocated a specific line item of World Cup™. We intend to work
interest to shared $5 million as part of the budget being closely with FIFA in the adaptation and
submitted to FIFA in Chapter 18. implementation of proposed programs
interests, and in
In addition, it is important to note such as the World Cup of Life, the use of
the process create that as with the World Cup that was held football in the MVPs and Places to Play
a better world in the U.S.A. in 1994, the proceeds from (with its intended 1,000 mini-pitches),
for ourselves and a World Cup in 2018 or 2022 will be to assure alignment with the evolving
our children. dedicated to the U.S. Soccer Foundation, FIFA Football for Hope movement.
275
5Environmental Protection
5 .1

5.2

5.3

5.4
Introduction

Environmental Action Plan for the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup™

Organization Plan and Governance for Sustainability

Engagement Plan
5.1
Introduction

n the United States World
Cup bid, Chapters 4 and 5 are
designed to work in tandem
to ensure that a FIFA World
Cup™ in the U.S. would be the
largest and most successful
sustainability-themed
movement in the world. What
we outlined in the previous
chapter is in many ways linked
to this chapter, for we feel
that sustainable social and human development
along with environmental responsibility require an
extraordinary level of coordination to ensure that
our commitments are fully realized.
If the U.S. is selected to host the 2018 or 2022
FIFA World Cup™, we will go beyond the expected.
We will use the best part of ourselves on behalf
of the world community created by football.
We will propose universal ideas that are put
into practice community by community. We will
mobilize the football world and empower one
person at a time, One on One, One by One. Each
and every fan who witnesses the matches in
the stadium or on television in more than 200
countries around the world has a stake in the
future and will be encouraged to play a role and
make a change.
280 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
The U.S. will make the FIFA World
Cup™ a self-sustaining energy event as
well as a “living showcase” that connects
people to novel technologies and new
behaviors that benefit our planet. The
gravitational pull of the World Cup will
draw people in and change them from
passive observers to eager activists
working toward a goal that all of us – in
every country – can share. A FIFA World
Cup™ in the U.S. will be a call to action.
It will represent bold thinking and big
A sustainable goals that reflect the optimism and
FIFA World Cup™ energy so characteristic of both FIFA
is not window and our country.
dressing or A sustainable FIFA World Cup™
something that
is not window dressing or something
that would be “nice to have.” To the
would be “nice U.S., a sustainable World Cup is the
to have.” To the only option.
U.S., a sustainable
World Cup is the
only option. How FIFA’s vision and
past American environmental
initiatives have inspired
the U.S. World Cup proposal
The world is at a tipping point. So say
scientists and business and political
leaders around the world, in a rare
consensus. The task of our generation
is to address these significant
environmental issues. The manner in
which we do so – in a way that protects
the needs of both current and future
generations – will be our legacy.
Understanding the challenges we face
is the very first step.
By dedicating the FIFA World Cup™
to sustainability in all its forms, the
U.S. acknowledges that the future
is upon us and that we will take
responsibility for it.
Environmental Challenges
The world faces a series of
environmental challenges that all
of us – business, government, and
civil society – must face together.
The core issues include climate
change, energy, water, deforestation,
biodiversity loss, chemicals and
toxics, air and water pollution, waste
management, ozone layer depletion,
and the rapid decline of our oceans.
In an article that was published by
the Los Angeles Times on November
30, 2009, U.S. media personality Jeff
Corwin described the world’s current
situation: “Somewhere on Earth, every
20 minutes, one animal species dies
out. At this rate, we will lose 50 percent
of all species by the end of the century.
Time is running out to turn the tide.”
In some areas, such as the ozone
layer and certain air regions, we are
seeing improvement. But most natural
systems are in serious decline. Putting
aside some controversies and political
wrangling, the science on climate
change is overwhelming. The world
is warming and humans are behind
it. Our choices in energy sources tie
directly to climate and to local air
quality and health.
Water issues are easily identified
– when regions face droughts and
millions of people die of water-borne
illness, there is no debate on the
science. Land use and deforestation
are not only creating roughly 20
percent of the greenhouse gas
problem, but are also contributing
mightily to what is being considered
“the sixth extinction event” in the
five-billion-year history of the planet.
The consensus among biologists is
that the earth is faced with a mounting
loss of species that threatens to rival
the five great mass extinctions of the
geological past.
281
 Concerns about chemicals and
what is in our bodies – and our
children’s bodies – continue to rise,
and countries around the world
are enacting ever more strict toxics
legislation. Our oceans are in critical
condition, with coral dying around
the world and very few major fisheries
managed in a sustainable way.
The United Nations’ extensive
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
in 2005 declared that nearly all the 24
major natural support systems the UN
studied are in decline. And they have
not improved in the last five years. It’s
far from a pretty picture, but there are
several bright spots on the horizon.
In fits and starts, the world is
starting to tackle climate change more
aggressively. Businesses around the
world are increasingly leading the
charge, not fighting it. As former U.S.
Vice President Al Gore and others tell
us, many of the technologies we need
to create a much more sustainable
world are already here.
National parks in the U.S. provide
more than 340,000 square kilometers of protected land.
282 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
History of Environmental
Leadership in the U.S.
America’s commitment to
environmental stewardship dates back
more than 100 years, thanks to the
leadership of far-sighted individuals,
businesses, educators, researchers,
and legislators. Some of the most
important examples that have inspired
our proposals are described next.
The National Parks
The U.S. pioneered land preservation
by safeguarding large portions of
the country for future generations.
The establishment of national parks
(beginning in 1872) and the extensive
network of local parks throughout
the country are a testament to this
bedrock American principle. The U.S.
now has 391 national parks across
the country under the management
of the National Park Service. It has
also protected approximately 340,000
square kilometers of land, an area
almost equal in size to the Republic
of Congo and larger than countries
such as Italy, Ecuador, and the United
Kingdom. In fact, this protected land
is larger than that of two-thirds of
the countries in the world. The year
2016 marks the centennial of the U.S.
National Park Service – one of the
stepping stones the U.S. World Cup
plan will make use of as we build
toward 2018/2022.
Silent Spring
The publication of Rachel Carson’s
Silent Spring in 1962 launched the
modern environmental movement
by documenting the severely
detrimental effects of pesticides on
the environment. The book – and
the resounding response to it –
facilitated the ban of the chemical
DDT in 1972, but more importantly
raised awareness of how humans are
impacting the environment globally.
Earth Day
Silent Spring – and the general social
revolution of the 1960s – helped
create environmental awareness and
activists in all walks of life. Concerned
Americans launched the first Earth
Day in 1970 to create an outlet for
those passions, with approximately
20 million Americans participating.
Twenty years later, Earth Day 1990
mobilized 200 million people in 141
countries and paved the way for the
landmark 1992 United Nations Earth
Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Earth Day 2007, with its estimated
record one billion people participating
in activities around the world,
provided an inspiring model that
the U.S. will seek to emulate and
eclipse for the 2018/2022 FIFA World
Cup™. We will garner participation
and action from billions of FIFA fans
around the globe to support our
sustainability cause.
Government Leadership
The U.S. government passed some of
the first major national environmental
laws that the world had ever seen,
among them the critically important
Air Pollution Control Act (1955), the
Clean Air Act (1963), the National
Environmental Policy Act (1969), and
the Clean Water Act (1972). These laws
set standards that have been emulated
in countries around the world.
Arguably, the U.S. has lost some of
its environmental leadership position
in recent years, particularly around the
greatest threat to humanity, climate
change. But that has begun to change
thanks to the actions of certain
government officials.
As early as 1976, Al Gore, who
served as Vice President of the United
States from 1993 to 2001, held the
first U.S. Congressional hearings on
climate change and co-sponsored
hearings on toxic waste and global
warming. Following the release of
the film An Inconvenient Truth and
later receipt of the Nobel Prize, he
impelled a global “sea change” in
environmental awareness.
Under President Barack Obama, the
U.S. administration has turned the
focus back onto environmental issues.
To demonstrate his commitment,
President Obama issued an Executive
Order on October 5, 2009, to
demonstrate that the government
could take measureable action that
went beyond simple words. This
order mandated that federal agencies
establish 2020 greenhouse gas
reduction goals, as well as operational
goals such as the following:
● A 30 percent reduction in vehicle
fleet petroleum use by 2020
● A 26 percent improvement in water
efficiency by 2020
● A 50 percent improvement
in recycling and waste diversion
by 2015
283
● That 95 percent of all applicable
contracts meet sustainability
requirements
● Implementation of the 2030 net-
zero-energy building requirement
But even before federal authorities
played a major role in this area, our
cities and regions stepped into the
void and demonstrated world-class
leadership. In 2005, then-Seattle
Mayor Greg Nickels launched the
U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate
Protection Agreement to advance the
goals of the Kyoto Protocol.
Over the last five years, more
than 1,000 mayors have signed the
agreement, and the competition among
our cities to be crowned the “greenest”
has become fierce. For example,
New York City’s Mayor Michael R.
Bloomberg created his own greening
plan, PlaNYC, which calls for a 30
percent reduction in global warming
emissions by 2030. Greenworks
Philadelphia, a mayoral initiative in
that city, has set goals to reduce green-
house gases (GHGs) by 20 percent, to
bring local food within 10 minutes of 75
percent of residents, and to lower city
government energy consumption by 30
percent – all by 2015.
The U.S. is proud to state that 17
of the 18 proposed FIFA World Cup™
Host Cities have already signed the
Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.
The USA Bid Committee will be
initiating conversations with the City
of Houston, whose mayor was just
elected to that position in December of
2009, to urge it to become the 18th city
to sign the agreement.
284 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
These cities and many other
American communities have reduced
emissions, built leading-edge public
transportation systems, set tough
green standards on city purchasing
and procurement, mandated energy
efficiency audits and improvements in
buildings, and much more. Host City
leadership of this sort is of particular
importance to our proposals, since the
matches will take place in 12 of our
most forward-thinking metropolitan
areas, thereby assisting the LOC to
implement its bold initiatives.
As we did during our bid process, the
U.S. proposes that FIFA continue the
use of sustainability criteria to screen
cities and stadia in the selection of the
final 12 venues for the event.
Critical Partners and
Best Practices
In addition to the leadership that our
proposed Host Cities will provide,
and the close partnership required
with FIFA to build a sustainable World
Cup, we propose to work with other
important stakeholders as well. We
will establish a Sustainability Advisory
Board with members who are among
the most respected sustainability
experts in the world (see Section 5.3,
Organization Plan and Governance).
But it is worth highlighting two
specific groups that we believe would
offer valuable contributions at the
Advisory Board level.
The U.S. is proud
to state that 17
of the 18 proposed
FIFA World Cup™
Host Cities have
already signed
the Mayors
Climate Protection
Agreement.
A sustainable Business Leaders
World Cup is Over the last decade the business
world has been swept up in a green
not just about wave of rising interest and concern
making the about environmental issues. On one
matches as level, none of this is new. Leading
low-impact as companies, such as 3M and DuPont,
possible; the have been pursuing “pollution
responsibility prevention” and eco-efficiency for
extends to the years, even decades, and the intensity
and scope of their greening efforts has
supply chain grown exponentially.
as well as to Aside from some of those
attendees larger early adopters and smaller
and viewers. sustainability-focused leaders
such as Patagonia, U.S. companies
were arguably a step behind in the
sustainability race. In recent years a
few green superpowers from the U.S.
have come on strong. General Electric’s
ecomagination program is trying
to help address some of the world’s
environmental ills with turbines, more
efficient locomotives, water systems,
and other large technologies. IBM is
promoting a “smarter planet” and
using information technology to make
buildings, transportation, and cities
more efficient and intelligent.
Perhaps most important, Wal-
Mart, the world’s largest retailer
with $400 billion in annual sales,
has set aggressive goals for its own
operations, such as 100 percent
renewable energy and zero waste, and
has made significant strides in energy
and fleet efficiency. In turn, Wal-Mart
is pressing its 100,000 suppliers to do
much more, from reducing packaging
to cutting carbon emissions. It is this
new “full value-chain perspective” that
we believe can change the world by
affecting every link in the production
and supply chain.
The powerful green business
community in the U.S. will bring
both inspiration and tactics to a U.S.-
hosted FIFA World Cup™, and we have
embraced this larger value-chain view
as central to our plans: A sustainable
World Cup is not just about making
the matches as low-impact as possible;
the responsibility extends to the
supply chain as well as to attendees
and viewers.
In addition, our environmental
plan is modeled in many ways upon
what is clearly possible at the cutting
edge of the private sector (as well as, of
course, on what we can learn from our
greenest cities). If a major automobile
plant in Indiana sends zero waste to
the landfill, why can’t our stadia do
the same in eight or 12 years? If Wal-
Mart can drastically improved fleet
efficiency and is testing biofuels and
electric engines, why shouldn’t we set
aggressive zero-fossil-fuel goals for
FIFA World Cup™ transportation?
We can also partner with the
business community in choosing our
vendors more carefully. For example,
why shouldn’t the FIFA IT partner
come with a strong environmental
record and the desire to work closely
with the LOC on an end-of-life plan for
all event-related technology?
NGOs
U.S. non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) also play leading domestic and
international roles in environmental
issues. Some examples of notable
NGOs include the National Resources
Defense Council (NRDC), the
World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the
Environmental Defense Fund (EDF),
and the Nature Conservancy (TNC).
A U.S.-hosted World Cup would
seek to create partnerships with
these entities and others in a manner
unmatched by previous World Cups.
The USA Bid Committee has already
begun to work with the NRDC, the
Earth Institute at Columbia University,
and other institutions in formulating
the bid proposal. These existing
relationships help set the stage for
the U.S. to effectively implement the
initiatives outlined in this chapter.
285
 Guiding Principles for
a Sustainable FIFA World Cup™
in the U.S.A.
It is vital that the World Cup be bold
in its environmental strategy. A FIFA
World Cup™ in the U.S. will abide by
four guiding principles:
1) Sustainability will be the core
The element of the entire event.
As noted before, our efforts will
begin in 2011 and build up as we utilize
the eight to 12 years leading to the
event. Using the platform of the world’s
greatest sporting event, the U.S. will
bring a legion of innovative financial
and human resources to the table to
make the FIFA World Cup™ a new
tipping point – a movement that could
positively affect environmental and
sustainability efforts around the world.

Game Is
In the end, the U.S. sustainability
2) We will set new standards in green platform will provide FIFA with

In US
operations and set tactical goals for something very different. Our Bid
the event such as: campaign's tagline is “The Game is
— Marc and in US.” But it is not about us. We are
Huges Porret ● Water neutrality merely the means to a very important
● Zero waste to landfill end. In partnership with FIFA and the
● Zero fossil fuels in FIFA World Cup™ our legacy will aim
energy generation to touch the world as a whole.
● Zero fossil fuels in FIFA-
provided transportation
● 100 percent compliance
by suppliers and vendors to
sustainability standards
● 100 percent organic food
sourced locally
● Less than 20 percent of attendees
arriving by combustion engine
vehicles to the matches

3) We will have a greater impact

outside the core operations of the
event by influencing, educating,
inspiring, and empowering the
following groups:

● 5 million people ticketed for

the matches
● 25 million people at the
FIFA Fan Fests™
● Billions watching worldwide
● Suppliers and vendors
● The FIFA Family (players,
coaches, teams, volunteers,
workers, and communities)

4) All of the proposed sustainability

initiatives will aim to enhance the
experience of the FIFA World Cup™
and the game of football itself.

287
 5.2
Environmental Action Plan for
the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup™
The Greening Strategy
Without a doubt, professional sporting
events require enormous resources.
In advance of the event, many
thousands of fans and workers travel
to the region and commute to the
different venues, and FIFA executives
and officials, along with players and
team management, travel to the
matches. As the matches get underway,
the venues themselves require
extensive grid power and generators
for lighting, heating and cooling, and
all other operations. The attendees
use thousands of liters of water in
bathrooms, and the stadia use more
water in food preparation and cleaning.
Excited fans often leave many tons of
trash, frequently not recycled.
We consider these to be just some
of the direct impacts of running an
event. In our proposal, we also look
at larger impacts that lie elsewhere.
Every piece of merchandise, food,
paper, and packaging sold or used at
the match comes from somewhere…
and those “upstream” impacts in
the procurement chain are far larger
than the event itself. Thus, in close
cooperation with FIFA, we will address
them as critical elements of our
greening strategy.
288 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
The LOC will take a holistic and
systematic approach to make a positive
impact on global environmental,
energy, water, waste, and climate
change issues. But before establishing
strategies and tactics for reducing our
impact as far as possible, we have to
start with data. What gets measured
gets managed, and we will make a
commitment to metrics a core principle
of our environmental action plan.
Let us start now with an estimate
of the direct footprint of staging the
2018/2022 FIFA World Cup™.
The Footprint of a FIFA World
Cup™ in the U.S.
The first step in achieving
environmental sustainability goals is
to quantify the current environmental
footprint or baseline. This establishes
a starting point and forms the basis
to identify and implement actions to
mitigate or eliminate environmental
impacts. As shown on the pie chart
on the next page, the U.S. has
preliminarily quantified the core
operational environmental impact of a
FIFA World Cup™ held in the U.S.
Since all data required for a full
assessment are not yet available and
the final venues to host games have yet
to be selected, an estimate was derived
using averages obtained from cities
and stadia across the U.S.A. For each
of the 30-plus venues initially under
consideration by the Bid Committee,
we collected core environmental
metrics for sold-out matches. Each
stadium provided us with data on
energy use (day and night matches),
What gets water use, and waste produced. This
measured gets data gave us a starting point for
estimating what the 64-match FIFA
managed, and World Cup™ impact would entail,
we will make using today’s stadia and technologies.
a commitment This is an important point: The
to metrics a core resulting estimates give us a baseline
principle of our “as is,” if we do nothing else to reduce
environmental impacts. As we will show, our aggressive
action plan. goals will aim to dramatically reduce
these footprint elements.
Still, the potential “as is” footprint
of a U.S.-hosted World Cup reveals
some sobering statistics and identifies
areas where more quantifiable data
will be required. Based on preliminary
analysis and calculations in areas
considered under the direct control of
FIFA and the LOC (these areas will be
explained in detail in the upcoming
pages), the staging of the FIFA World
Cup™ would generate the following
environmental impacts:
CO 2 Emissions from a U.S. –
hosted FIFA World Cup™,
estimated using today’s stadium
and city data.
(figures represent metric tons)
Stadia 3,359
IBC 2,457
FIFA Travel
3,007
Fan Transportation
21,825
* S ource: Domani
(U.S.-based environmental consulting firm).
● 11 million kilowatt hours of
electricity to power stadia for
64 matches
● 4 million kilowatt hours of
electricity to power the IBC for
eight months
● 352 million kilometers of fan travel
to the stadiums on day-of-game
● 311,000 kilometers of team, FIFA
Family, and LOC travel during the
entire tournament
● 114 million liters of water used at
stadiums for 64 matches
● 6,000 tons of waste from stadia and
media centers
Please note that the estimates above
do not yet include merchandise and
supply chains or national/international
fan travel on non-match days.
At current energy use (and using
current data on the electric grids the
stadia draw from), and at current travel
profiles for fans on match day (mix of
cars and buses), and including all the
travel done by participating players,
the FIFA Family and the LOC, and the
International Broadcast Center (IBC),
the direct climate impact would be
on the order of 30,650 metric tons of
carbon dioxide.
The LOC has already accounted for
a line item in its budget to offset the
footprint of these estimations as a last
resort after having implemented all of
our proposed deterrent plans.
289

Every fan has a role to play in our sustainability efforts.
As the pie chart on the previous page
depicts, the stadia themselves are a
surprisingly small part of the equation.
The 27,900m² IBC, in addition to the
FIFA Family/players and LOC travel
all contribute nearly as much climate
impact. And finally, the commuting
of five million ticketed attendees on
match days will make up the large bulk
of the direct impacts.
Besides the baseline estimations
from our stadiums, we will also use
Germany’s 2006 results as another
benchmark, since its data is the
outcome of successfully concluded
assessments. Furthermore, we will
closely monitor the efforts set forward
for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in
South Africa and will attempt to
incorporate best practices and
learnings from their implementations.
290 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
The 2006 Germany Green Goal
report catalogued a total impact of
that event at 92,000 metric tons of
carbon dioxide. Germany’s after-
the-fact measurement included two
elements that have not yet been taken
into consideration for our baseline
estimations at this stage.
First, their estimate took into
consideration fan travel within
Germany on non-match days as well as
international travel by people coming
from abroad to attend the event.
For now we are not including these
additional factors in our estimates.
Second, and most important,
Germany’s numbers include a
measurement of supply chain impacts,
which was a larger number than our
direct footprint.
As such, it is worth repeating that
our baseline estimates relate to the
direct, measurable impacts of staging
the event, not the footprint of the
supply chain of all the materials and
products associated with the matches.
Our plan will address many of those
issues in its procurement goals and
policies. And we intend to measure
the full value-chain impacts of food,
merchandise, and other supplies as
we get closer to the event and have our
actual partners lined up.
We strongly believe, as one of
the core principles in our bid, that
the multiplier effect of changing
the behavior of fans and suppliers/
vendors will dwarf the direct impacts
of the event itself. Of course, we must
manage, and manage aggressively, the
impacts in our direct control. When
we do so, we believe we can reduce the
direct impact by more than 65 percent
(bringing that emissions number
down below 10,000 metric tons). By
using no fossil fuels, for example,
and relying on biofuels, the FIFA
transportation numbers alone can
drop by more than two-thirds (using
today’s best estimates on the lifecycle
carbon savings of biofuels such as
algae and jatropha). And as we noted,
we aim to make the events zero waste
to landfill and water-neutral as well.
The multiplier
effect of changing
the behavior
of fans and
suppliers/vendors
will dwarf the
direct impacts of
the event itself.
Guidelines for Environmental
Management
To accomplish our aggressive goals
we have embraced five key ideas that
will guide the LOC’s management of
environmental issues:
1.
We will learn from past experiences
and build off the best practices of
previous World Cups and other major
events.
While we plan to take sustainable
operations of big events to a new
level, we will not, as the saying goes,
“reinvent the wheel.”
In advance of the 2006 FIFA
World Cup™, FIFA, in cooperation
with the United Nations, several
German governmental and non-
governmental organizations, and
numerous sponsors, implemented
comprehensive efforts to “green”
the event. As FIFA President Joseph
S. Blatter explained, “We will make
a better world by taking care of
its natural resources. Green Goal
is therefore the first and most
important goal of the FIFA World
Cup 2006™.” The result was the most
environmentally responsible World
Cup in history.
“Green Goal 2006” set the
foundation for cities aspiring to host
a sustainable FIFA World Cup™. The
2006 event demonstrated that the
basic tenets of sustainability must
be planned in advance so that those
measures are integrated into every
aspect of the matches, from new
construction and transportation
planning to producing materials and
documenting results.
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 The program established
measurable environmental targets
for waste management, water
conservation, energy use, and
transportation. Attendance at the 2006
World Cup exceeded three million
people, all of them creating trash and
using energy and water. “Green Goal”
sought to minimize that impact and
produced some excellent success. On
average, 57 percent of match attendees
rode local public transportation;
stadiums were partly powered with
solar energy; water was conserved
by using dry urinals and rainwater
collection systems; and “Green Goal”
arranged for the offset of much of the
event’s carbon emissions.
The U.S. will use these
achievements as both a guide and
inspiration. The estimated attendance
for a U.S. World Cup is five million
people, which is both good and
bad news from an environmental
perspective. The impacts, without an
aggressive plan in place, would greatly
exceed those in Germany. So, first, the
U.S. will aim to dramatically reduce
the footprint of the event. And second,
we will use the greater scale to inspire
the many millions of fans to change
behaviors and contribute to a more
sustainable world.
292 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
2.
At a minimum, we will adhere to
the highest available standards. We
will rely on the best science in each
impact area.
Where there are national or globally-
recognized standards in place, we will
use them. For example, we will set
standards in procurement, such as
Energy Star for technology products
and USDA Organic label for food.
Where the standards are not already
well-developed, we will seek the best
knowledge and lobby for standards.
For example, the Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED)
building standards are constantly
evolving. We will work with the U.S.
Green Building Council to develop
certification guidelines for large
events and then reach for the highest
level of achievement.
We will push the boundaries of
available technology and entice
our world-class clean-technology
and entrepreneurship sectors to
demonstrate how global environmental
sustainability challenges can be solved.
We can use the event to highlight and
demonstrate cutting edge but reliable
technologies such as off-grid water and
energy technologies, algae biofuels,
and small-scale photo-voltaic (PV) and
wind generation.
Finally, when a technology or
industry is still in development, we
will rely on the best peer-reviewed
science to determine the best green
options available. In selecting biofuels
for running stadium generators or
powering planes for FIFA, we will seek
to use the best analyses of the lifecycle
carbon impacts of various fuel options
to choose wisely.
3. The tool we propose to use for
We are committed to open reporting crafting our reports and picking
and transparency in all we do. our core metrics is the Global
As we develop our plans and as we stage Reporting Initiative (GRI), the most
the world’s largest sporting event, we commonly used sustainability
will readily share both the data and our reporting framework. By using a well-
approach. These assessments will be known framework, we will produce
transparent so that all stakeholders can reports that stakeholders recognize,
review both our plans and outcomes. and we will have an easier time
We will share best practices. All of collecting information from vendors/
our processes and measurements will suppliers that are also adhering to
be documented and made available this framework.
to other countries to use for future
events. We will also craft sustainability
standards and guidelines that may
assist FIFA in determining future
members of the extended “FIFA
Family,” such as sponsors, suppliers,
vendors, and so on.
sustainability
in action
The United States Men's
National Team players
will be wearing the most
environmentally-friendly
and technologically-
advanced uniforms ever
produced. The kit was
made entirely from recycled
polyester, with each jersey
produced with yarn made
from up to eight recycled
plastic bottles.
The World Cup will seek to leave the smallest possible impact on the environment.
293
4.
We believe in the power of
metrics and will use data to drive
performance.
Another reason for selecting GRI
is its commitment to metrics. It is
essential that any environmental
sustainability goals be tied to key
performance indicators (KPIs) and be
part of a transparent management
system approach. We subscribe to the
adage from renowned management
visionary Peter Drucker: “what is
measured is managed.” Particular
care will be taken in setting the
appropriate environmental indicators
for each of the six FIFA topics (water,
waste, energy, transportation,
procurement, and climate change).
Environmental Metrics Dashboard
Providing real-time metrics to measure venue performance
towards sustainability goals is a key goal.
* Source: SAS
294 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
We plan to produce periodic
environmental and CSR reports (see
Chapter 4) and use the best life-cycle
and other analytic tools to calculate our
impacts in the six core FIFA areas. For
each area we will benchmark against
the most effective practices used in
sporting competitions to date as well as
the world’s leading corporations.
On top of the reporting process, we
will develop metrics dashboards that
will guide each venue, and the entire
World Cup team, on its sustainability
journey. These dashboards (as shown
below) will provide data by core topic
and by stadium and will track progress
against our aggressive goals.
Summary of Key
Guidelines for
Environmental
Management.
1) We will learn from past
experiences and build
off the best practices of
previous World Cups and
other major events.
2) We will adhere to, at a
minimum, the highest
available standards.
We will rely on the
best science in each
impact area.
3) We are committed to
open reporting and
transparency in all we do.
4) We believe in the
power of metrics and
will use data to drive
performance.
5) We will use world-
class environmental
management systems
(EMS) to tie it all
together.
5.
We will use world-class
environmental management systems
(EMS) to tie it all together.
We believe that any environmental
sustainability efforts must be
tracked against our goals using
an accepted management system,
with progress consistently reported
to our stakeholders.
We will utilize ISO 14001, a
globally-recognized environmental
management system for certification
of our operations and to provide
ongoing support, dashboards,
and controls. As part of our larger
commitment to an enduring impact
beyond the FIFA World Cup™
matches, we will begin by certifying
the LOC. We will then work closely
with every operating venue for the
event and certify them in the same
fashion. Finally, we will seek suppliers/
vendors that meet our standards.
The LOC is prepared to take the
first step in this certification process
and has already included a budget
item for its operations to be ISO
14001-certified.
Environmental Goals and Tactics
As outlined earlier, the U.S. has
established aggressive but achievable
overarching goals for the FIFA World
Cup™ operations.
1) Water neutrality
2) Zero waste to landfill
3) Zero fossil fuels in
energy generation
4) Zero fossil fuels in FIFA-
provided transportation
5) 100 percent compliance
by suppliers and vendors to
sustainability standards
6) 100 percent organic food
sourced locally
7) Less than 20 percent of attendees
arriving by combustion engine cars
to the matches
These goals will set the standard for
all our efforts. Within each area, we
have more detailed goals and metrics
to drive performance and develop
action plans. We will work closely with
our cities and stadia to achieve these
as we set up a competition among all
18 of them before the final 12 Host
Cities are determined.
Our environmental management
program will quantify the
environmental impacts and savings
of water, energy efficiency, greenhouse
gas reduction, shifts in modes of
transportation, improvements to
health and quality of life, and levels
of sustainable procurement. The goal
is of course to reduce the impacts of
the event itself to near zero. The U.S.
will measure the impact of World
Cup activities over the years before
the event, during the event itself,
and for some time post-event. Our
measurement plans will include pre-
World Cup events such as the FIFA
Confederations Cup, MLS matches,
activity by the U.S. Soccer Federation,
and others.
295
 To ensure that these action plans
are the best possible, they will also be
peer-reviewed by a panel of globally-
recognized experts, many of whom
we are planning to include in our
Sustainability Advisory Board.
Following is a review of the goals
and a preliminary list of actions to
drastically reduce projected impacts.
For each of the six key areas identified
by FIFA, we present a current picture
of ongoing activities. Under each, we
discuss our key aspirational goals, the
background of that environmental
issue, and top-line operational tactics
and guidelines to help us achieve new
levels of environmental performance.
At the end of the section we then offer
a few brief examples of activities going
on today in some of our leading stadia
and cities in our country.
To achieve the goals and ensure
that the funding of these initiatives
is not borne entirely by the LOC, our
objective is to set goal-oriented criteria
for each city and stadium taking part
in the final venue selection process.
In some cases, public grants may be
pursued. We will also take these goals
into account during the negotiation of
the Stadium Use Agreements. Finally,
we will work closely with FIFA to
identify any areas where commercial
affiliates could associate themselves
with these programs. We are confident
that this process, combined with many
initiatives already taking place in the
cities on their own accord, will ensure
that the goals can be met.
296 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
Water
Relevant Goal(s)
● Water-neutral, i.e., zero water
withdrawal from municipal or
on-site resources (surface or
groundwater) aquifer sources
Key Metrics
● Total use per person
● Water returned to aquifer or
municipality – target 100 percent
(rainwater, reuse, etc.)
Background
The world’s water challenges concern
issues of both quality and quantity.
Almost half of the world’s population
lives without access to a reliable source
of clean water. In the United States,
water pollution affects many of our
nation’s rivers, streams, and lakes.
In many regions of the world, and in
particular in the U.S., availability, not
quality is the main concern. Climate
change is shifting precipitation
patterns and causing longer and more
sustained droughts. Combine that
with rapid population growth in some
water-poor areas such as the American
Southwest, and the strain on the water
system is significant. Even regions
that had not faced significant water
shortages in the past are dealing with
new constraints.
sustainability
in action
At the local youth
development level, the
Colorado Rapids Under-23
club became the world’s
first carbon-neutral football
team in 1997 by offsetting
all carbon emissions
produced by the club during
their daily events. These
were offset by purchasing
carbon reduction offsets.
The club also implemented
fan promotions such as
“Come on a bike and get $2
off admission.”
Water binds us all and represents
an amazing opportunity to get more
efficient and raise awareness about
local and global water issues in the
communities in which we play. The
U.S. will cultivate a culture of water
consciousness at every level of the
FIFA World Cup™. We have selected
water as the key environmental
“cause” that the U.S. World Cup will
embrace as described in our World
Cup of Life concept described in
detail in Chapter 4.
Water is the single element that
flows through all the Millennium
Development Goals and connects most
directly to the hydration that makes
for healthy minds and bodies. Water
has an impact on both environmental
and social issues and we believe a U.S.-
hosted FIFA World Cup™ can have
the greatest global impact by focusing
much of our proposed CSR and
engagement activities on water. More
information on our water program
can be found in Chapter 4 and in the
Engagement section that follows.
Plans/Activities
Our water-reduction efforts will come
on two levels. First, we will target
aggressive operational changes to
reduce the amount of water drawn
from local water systems and aquifers.
Among examples of water-specific
actions we will seek to put in place are:
● High-efficiency water technologies
at each of the venues, including low-
flow and dual-flush toilets, waterless
urinals, and low-flow shower heads
● Water capture systems such as
green roof technologies
● Grey water reuse for non-potable
water use
● Preservation of pervious surfaces
(such as grass and gravel)
around the stadium, which
can reduce runoff
● On-site water treatment systems
such as engineered natural systems/
constructed wetlands
● Deploy emerging “off grid”
water technologies such as water
vapor capture
Second, we will seek to extend well
beyond just the operational changes
we can make at the stadia, mainly by
making water considerations a core
part of our work with suppliers and
vendors. We propose to only purchase
products that cause less water pollution
and to the extent possible have a “low
embedded water footprint.” Organic
foods, for example, are made without
pesticides and fertilizers and therefore
cause less water pollution. Buying
renewable energy reduces the amount
of water pollution associated with oil
and coal production, and purchasing
recycled paper reduces water pollution
from virgin paper mills, which are
among the most polluting factories in
the world. We also propose to FIFA that
the selection of event suppliers and
vendors be made in part based on their
water footprint.
297
Waste
Relevant Goal(s)
● Zero waste to landfill
Key Metrics
● Total solid waste produced per
match and per person
Amount of waste stream diverted
and recycled – target 100 percent
Total food consumed, per
person, and percent and tonnage
composted – target 100 percent
● Total e-waste created from media
centers – target zero
● Total waste collected at recycling
events for fans – target 100 percent
Background
The U.S. is one of the biggest
producers of trash in the world and
has a long way to go to improve
its waste performance. The U.S.-
hosted World Cup will take part in a
movement that is simple in concept
if not always in execution: produce
zero waste to landfill. Though born of
idealism, the zero-waste philosophy
is now propelled by sobering
realities, like the growing difficulty
of securing permits for new landfills
and an awareness that organic
decay in landfills releases methane
that further warms the Earth’s
atmosphere. A number of companies
have achieved zero-waste-to-landfill
at factories or retail outlets. We will
learn from these best practices.
298 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
Recycling protects the habitat “Across the nation, The U.S. will conduct waste audits ● An e-waste program at the
media center and technology
and saves energy, water, and resources
an anti-garbage to efficiently and responsibly dispose
such as trees, oil, and metals. By of the waste that it generates every day hubs at venues
recycling paper, cardboard, metals,
strategy known as part of our overall EMS program.
and plastics, we will help reduce the as “zero waste” By designing a more efficient waste ● Purchasing criteria will include a
harmful impacts associated with is moving from disposal program we will shun measure of ease of disposability
the extraction of these resources, the fringes to polystyrene foam containers and and recyclability
including oil spills, deforestation, the mainstream, any other packaging that is not
biodiversity loss, and water pollution. taking hold in biodegradable, and recycle or compost ● Buying recycled-content products
We will pay special attention to food
school cafeterias, whatever we can.
waste, which the U.S. Environmental Some examples of waste- ● Composting all food waste
Protection Agency says accounts
national parks, specific plans we will seek to put
for about 13 percent of total trash restaurants, in place include: ● Selecting suppliers/vendors based
nationally. We will address this stadiums and in part on their commitment to
issue and establish relationships corporations.” ● Recycling containers at every source reduction
with local “food banks” to donate — The New exit, with staff on hand to help
any excess food from matches and York Times , with sorting
related activities.
October 20, 2009
● Aggressive promotion of clearly
Plans/Activities marked recycling and compost bins
The U.S. plans to follow the principles – engaging attendees in the mission
of pollution prevention – we will look of zero waste to drive greater
to reduce the use of resources first, participation in sorting on site
then reuse and recycle afterward. For
example, the paper industry is one of ● Recycling events, which will divert
the world’s largest industrial sources more waste from landfills than the
of water pollution. In addition, it is the event itself by having attendees
third-largest industrial contributor to bring in e-waste, for example
global warming. Reducing the amount
of paper we use will help to reduce
these impacts. Proposed plans to
make an impact in the paper reduction
area are also considered in the Media
Facilities section in Chapter 16.
Thus we will put the most emphasis
on reducing the impacts of the various
activities at the source. Zero waste
to landfill will start with selecting
products that are designed with
the lowest waste footprint (reduced
packaging, for example). We will then
build a comprehensive and robust on-
site recycling program.
Recycling events will divert more waste from landfills.
299
Energy
Relevant Goal(s)
● Zero fossil fuels in energy
generation (on-site renewables and
biofuel generators)
● Zero fossil fuels in FIFA
transportation (all-electric or bio-
diesel fleets)
Key Metrics
● Electricity consumed
(in kwh and $US)
Proportion of renewable energy
(kwh and/or percentage of total
energy consumed, $US)
● Other energy consumed in liters
(e.g. generators)
Proportion from biofuels
● CO2 equivalent emissions from
lifecycle of energy use (in metric
tons of CO2 equivalent)
Background
There is broad consensus within the
scientific community that human
activity is changing the earth’s climate
through increasing concentrations of
greenhouse gases. Climate change is
having a profound impact on human
health, coastal areas, water supplies,
agriculture, ecosystems, demand for
energy, and infrastructure.
Electric power plants are the largest
industrial source of the pollutants
that cause global warming, acid rain,
and mercury poisoning in lakes and
rivers in the U.S. By conducting energy
audits of each venue as part of our
EMS program, we will identify ways
to reduce our consumption of fossil
fuels and contribution to emissions of
greenhouse gases.
Fossil-fuel energy generation –
for electricity, transportation, and
industrial uses – is the principal
cause of air pollution and global
warming. By generating electricity
300 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
from on-site renewables such as solar,
wind, and biomass, we will reduce
demand for fossil fuel energy and
also reduce contributions to smog,
acid rain, pollution-related illness,
and global warming. We will also
be using biofuels from sources that
do not compete with food to run
the generators at the venues and in
transportation.
Plans/Activities
Some examples of energy-specific plans
we will seek to put in place:
● Carry out initial energy audits in
venues now as part of the process of
narrowing our list of stadia and as a
part of our EMS program
● Immediate implementation of
energy efficiency and alternative
energy programs
● Lighting retrofits to use more LED
lights and reduce lighting energy
demand up to 75 percent
● Automation and centralized controls
for lighting and equipment
● Optimization of heating and
cooling systems, including heat
recovery and reuse
● Energy Star and other standards
for all appliances and technology
equipment used at venues and at the
media center
● Increased use of on-site
energy generation from solar
and wind power
● A “FIFA Carbon Challenge” to engage
fans to compete to reduce energy use
and carbon emissions at home (see
Awareness section)
● As a “last resort” strategy after
implementing all proactive
actions, the LOC has budgeted
funds to purchase carbon offsets
thereby addressing the event’s
operational impact Stadia in the U.S. are already taking major steps to help the environment.
301
Transportation
Relevant Goal(s)
● Zero fossil fuels in FIFA-provided
transportation (all-electric or bio-
diesel fleets)
● Less than 20 percent of attendees
arriving by combustion engine car
Key Metrics
● Attendees commuting to
the matches
Decrease in usage of combustion
engine cars. Target – less than
20 percent of attendees on
match day using this method
of transportation
Increase in usage of electric cars
Increase the number
foot/bike commuters
Implement and increase the
usage of electric shuttle buses
Increase in usage of other
forms of sustainable public
transportation
● For FIFA Family transportation
100 percent of flights/kilometers
and proportion of fuels from
biofuel sources
100 percent of bus kilometers
and proportion of fuels from
electric, biodiesel, other
sustainable transportation
alternatives
Background
The transportation sector is one of the
largest contributors to global warming
and smog, and causes the release of
other harmful compounds into the air
that can have serious health effects,
especially on the respiratory system.
Using alternative energy vehicles (AEV)
we will reduce the amount of gasoline
used, which in turn will reduce all of
these negative impacts.
302 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
Using public transportation cuts All Host Cities
down on the number of cars on the
support FIFA's
road. In addition, many forms of
public transportation use alternative
goal of offering
fuels such as natural gas and fuel free public
cells. Promoting the use of public transportation to
transportation therefore reduces the ticket holders.
transportation sector’s emissions of
harmful compounds such as carbon
dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon
monoxide, volatile organic compounds,
and particulates. Reducing these
emissions means less smog, global
warming, acid rain, and the negative
health effects associated with them.
Bicycling obviously reduces all such
impact, saves money, and is a healthy
way to begin and end the day.
After the 1996 Summer Olympic
Games, a study published in the Journal
of the American Medical Association
found that efforts to reduce downtown
traffic congestion in Atlanta during the
Games resulted in decreased traffic
density, especially during the critical
morning period. This reduction in
traffic decreased ozone pollution and
significantly lowered rates of asthma
cases during that period of time.
Plans/Activities
It is important to note that the
discussion on transportation concerns
two separate but related areas:
1) Fan transportation to the venues
2) FIFA Family transportation for
athletes and FIFA executives
between venues and cities and
within cities.
Public transportation plays a major role in the U.S. plans to reduce the event's carbon footprint.
303

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the world’s first mostly composite commercial airplane,
will use 20 percent less fuel per passenger than similarly sized airplanes,
produce fewer carbon emissions, and will have quieter takeoffs and landings.
For the first category, which
represents three quarters of the
estimated direct footprint of the FIFA
World Cup™, we will use a portfolio
of initiatives aimed to dramatically
reduce the number of attendees
arriving by car. These initiatives are
listed below.
● Engage with FIFA and its Automotive
Partner. We would hope to work
in close coordination with FIFA’s
Automotive Partner to utilize
the years leading to a U.S.-hosted
event to set new standards for event
transportation.
● Use biofuels in planes. For FIFA
transportation, the primary
challenge is to meet our
overarching goal of no fossil fuels.
After consultation with Boeing
Corporation, we believe that we
can meet this goal with fuels
available in 2018. Boeing, along
304 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
with key airline partners around
the world, has conducted a number
of test flights using various biofuel
sources such as algae, jatropha, and
camelina. The use of these biofuels
cuts the lifecycle carbon impact by
anywhere from 60 to 95 percent,
and the company is confident
that the technical performance
of planes using biofuels is no
longer in question. The real issue
is one of supply – will there be an
infrastructure in place to produce
enough biofuels to make a dent
in airline travel globally? While
that is to be determined, we feel
confident that we can purchase
enough biofuel for our needs for the
World Cup, an estimated 140 flights
for players and FIFA management.
We would seek to enter into futures
contracts over the coming years to
guarantee the volume we need.
Transportation-specific plans we
will seek to put in place:
● Close coordination with local
city governments to develop
transportation plans that
minimize car travel
● Promotion of, and rewards for, low-
emission alternative transportation,
including free/inexpensive parking
for hybrids and carpools; more
expensive parking for combustion-
engine cars; free bike depots, and a
bike valet service at stadia
● Conversion of select parking lots
to other uses such as onsite solar
generation, natural water treatment/
constructed wetlands, and the FIFA
Sustainability Expo (see Awareness
Programs and Campaigns section
later in this chapter)
● Onsite battery recharging, power
by solar panels, and battery swap-
out systems
● Demonstrations of cutting-edge
transportation alternatives
such as Personal Rapid Transport
(PRT) systems
● Online options and tools for
attendees to offset their plane travel
to the cities for matches
Procurement
Relevant Goal(s)
● 100 percent compliance by
suppliers/vendors to highest
sustainability procurement
standards and transparency.
Key Operational Metrics
● Percentage of vendors meeting
vendor sustainability guidelines –
target 100 percent
100 percent vendors that use ISO
14001 or other environmental
management systems
● Key footprint data (carbon, energy,
waste, water) for key vendors
● Carbon footprint, by product, of
goods and services for staging
events as well as product sales
● Total paper consumed (tons)
Overall recycled content
(percentage of recycled content,
kilograms/tons), post-consumer
recycled content (percentage of
PCC, kilograms/tons), and Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC)-
certified (kg/tons)
● 100 percent of food sold from local
sources and from organic sources
Percentage of food service
ware that is recycled
and/or compostable
● 100 percent of IT equipment that
meets green IT standards such as
Energy Star or Green Grid
305
Background
As discussed previously, the impact
of the matches themselves is much
less than the full lifecycle impacts
of all the products and services that
go into staging an event of this size.
For food, technology, merchandise,
and other products and services, the
impacts lie, in large part, upstream
in the sourcing, production, and
distribution. Thus our leverage on the
overall impact of the World Cup lies in
setting high standards for suppliers
and vendors.
Smart procurement policies
are critical to the rest of the
environmental goals. Our goals
on waste reduction start with the
suppliers that will reduce packaging
and waste. Our goals on energy and
transportation start with the right
technologies and partners.
The ripple effects of raising
sustainability criteria and
performance will spread out through
the value chains for all these vendors.
They will be asked about their supply
chains as well. We hope to pick the
very best partners with the most
evolved sustainability programs,
but also to permanently improve the
environmental performance of all
the companies working with the FIFA
World Cup™.
Procurement covers a wide range
of products and environmental
issues. Our policies will work to
reduce the more obvious lifecycle
impacts for all vendors and products
– climate change, energy use, water
use, and waste and will look to
influence some other challenges,
often overlooked, such as:
Paper. The packaging of all food and
products sold, as well as the use of
paper in the media center and office
operations will create a sizable volume
of waste. But paper also has significant
upstream impacts. By purchasing
paper products made with recycled
fiber, chlorine-free bleaching, and
Forest Stewardship Council-certified
virgin fiber, we will help to reduce
the pollution of fresh water, the
306 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
emission of greenhouse gases, and the
harvesting of forests.
Ozone-depleting and greenhouse
gases in refrigeration and products.
Although the Montreal Protocol
treaty has greatly reduced the use of
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), some
products in some countries are still
made with this harmful chemical. We
will only use ozone-friendly products.
Toxicity of runoff from pesticides and
fertilizers. Pesticides, often used on
the grounds of venues, contain a wide
variety of toxic chemicals that can
easily find their way into the natural
environment, where they can cause
a great deal of harm, particularly to
aquatic ecosystems. Pesticides are
also highly toxic to people, especially
children. By cutting back our use of
pesticides, and by buying less toxic
products, we will help to reduce these
risks. By also reducing the amount of
fertilizer we use, we will help reduce
the impact of runoff into waterways.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
and air quality. Reducing the VOCs
emitted by the products we use will
have a number of positive effects on
both public health and the well being
of our employees and players. High
concentrations of VOCs are known to
cause a number of health risks.
In order to optimize the goals
of this program in relation to the
important area of procurement, we
propose to work with FIFA to establish
sustainability guidelines that could
hopefully be used during forthcoming
negotiations with sponsors to
ensure compatibility with the event’s
sustainability efforts.
sustainability
in action
The U.S. Bid has been
produced on paper sourced
from the Forest Stewardship
Council, which features
30 percent post-consumer
recycled fiber. Soy ink was
used for printing purposes.
Perhaps most important,
a minimum number of
books was printed in order
to conserve our natural
resources in a responsible
manner. In addition, all
collateral materials used
by the USA Bid Committee
at official FIFA events are
printed in limited amounts,
and offered in an electronic
version at www.gousabid.
com/greenmedia.
Plans/Activities
The following are examples of
procurement-specific plans we will
seek to put in place:
● Development of a set of supply-
chain criteria and standards for
products and services
● “Total cost” for picking vendors
will include environmental
performance, not solely
economic cost
● RFP process for major vendors will
require an environmental plan
● Lifecycle analyses of merchandise
and other products, as well as the
use of a standard product scorecard
(there are none currently, but Wal-
Mart and others are developing one)
● Vendors will have to provide
value chain/supply chain
information for their suppliers
and estimates of lifecycle
impacts (energy, water, waste)
● Paper and packaging
standards, including sourcing
(Forest Stewardship Council)
and recycled content
● Goals at each venue on food
sourcing (organic, local, fair trade)
Where possible the U.S.-hosted
World Cup will promote the use
of urban agriculture practices
to increase the use of locally
grown food and to establish a
long-term impact on community
quality of life
● IT criteria for energy use (US Energy
Star, Green Grid level) and end of
life (zero e-waste)
● Sustainability criteria for
recommended hotels for athletes,
fans, and media
● Standards for all cleaning products
(Green Seal)
Example of Core Checklist for
Products and Vendors
Working off the Green Goal 2006 and
2010 procurement best practices, we
will create a procurement standard that
includes the following core questions:
● Is the product Environmentally
Preferable Purchasing (EPP) or
Green certified? (Energy Star, FSC,
Green Seal, EPA, etc.)
● How much pollution (GHG
emissions, waste water, mercury,
chromium, phthalates, etc.)
is created in the production of
the product?
● Does the product contain
regulated/unregulated hazardous
materials (e.g. mercury, lead,
chlorines, phthalates, chromium,
cadmium, arsenic)? If so, are you
considering alternatives?
307
● Has the product been designed
and manufactured to reduce
water usage?
● Is the product energy efficient, both
in use and in its manufacturing?
● What percentage of the energy
used in production came from
renewable sources?
● Is the product designed to work
with low-energy inputs such as cold
water, cycling on/off of power, or
sleep mode?
● Can the product be converted/
retrofitted to use greener
technologies as they become
available and cost competitive?
● How much of the product and its
packaging is reusable or recyclable?
Is the product and packaging clearly
labeled as to content, recyclability,
and reuse potential?
● How much of the packaging/
product is made from recycled
materials and how much from
Forest Stewardship Council-
certified supply?
● Have the materials and energy
needed for shipping been
minimized as much as possible?
(e.g., by reducing the shipping
materials and their weight, using
concentrated products, reducing
shipping distances and frequencies,
utilizing alternative-fuel vehicles for
transport, etc.)
308 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
Climate Change Background
Since the beginning of the industrial
Relevant Goal(s) age, humans have been burning fossil
fuels such as oil and coal, releasing
● Zero fossil fuels in energy carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
generation (on-site renewables and gases into the atmosphere. As the
biofuel generators) concentrations of these compounds
rise in the atmosphere, they trap
● Zero fossil fuels in FIFA more and more heat. Scientists agree
transportation (all-electric or that our world is heating up, and that
bio-diesel fleets) human activity is a primary cause.
Global warming may have many
● Less than 20 percent of attendees adverse consequences, including
arriving by combustion engine car increases in droughts, hurricanes,
floods, and other severe weather
● Additional goal: To help attendees events; significant rises in sea level;
reduce GHGs prior to and following and increased spread of diseases once
the events to eliminate more GHGs confined to the tropics.
than our direct or indirect emissions The projected costs of global
warming to our economy and public
Key Metrics health are staggering. Fortunately,
solutions exist. Increasing energy
● Total fossil fuels in direct efficiency, purchasing renewable
operations (venues, transportation): energy, and smarter procurement
target zero practices that push high efficiency
standards up the supply chain can
● Increase the usage of total help reduce the threats of this global
biofuels used in direct operations crisis. Much of the activity that will
(transportation) reduce our climate impacts has been
discussed earlier in this chapter,
● Decrease significantly CO2 particularly regarding energy and
equivalent emissions from lifecycle transportation. In all areas, the U.S.
of energy use (kg/tons of CO2 World Cup will set a new standard in
equivalent) finding and championing solutions.
It is important at this point to
● Reduce number of combustion discuss the concept of “climate-
engine cars arriving at venue, and neutral.” The LOC does not believe that
U.S. strategy to tackle emissions
proportion of total attendance climate neutrality is the right metric or
during a FIFA World Cup™ goal. Of course we will strive to produce
and reach carbon neutrality as close to zero direct emissions as
in operations possible (as we’ve outlined above in our
zero fossil fuel goals). We will also buy
renewable energy certificates (RECs) as
the last resort to assure the offsetting
Reduce of any direct or indirect emissions from
Carbon our operations.
Directly
We will pursue credible and
verifiable offsets, with special attention
Educate, Utilize given to developing countries with
inspire and Renewable
the greatest needs, using the Clean
Energy
empower Development Mechanism (CDM) or
current global post-Kyoto frameworks.
Utilize These CDM projects may consist of
Offsets
energy efficiency, renewable energy
development, or forestation projects.
But two points are critical here:
First, the use of offsets to reduce our
net emissions of greenhouse gas is
only a “last resort.” We subscribe to a
hierarchy of reduced use first, then the
utilization of renewable energy directly
(as well as biofuels), and only then the
purchase of RECs or investment in
CDM projects for the remainder.
Second, as discussed, the
impacts of the matches themselves
will be dwarfed by the reductions
in emissions we inspire in our
supply chain, with our workers and
volunteers, and through changes
in the lifestyles of the millions of
attendees and billions of fans. For
that reason, we aspire that a FIFA
World Cup™ in the U.S. will go well
beyond “climate neutral” and even the
fashionable “climate negative” to a
new measure of climate improvement.
Plans/Activities
Most of our climate-related activities
are captured previously in the energy
and transportation sections, but we
should note that we will also conduct
“challenges” and competitions to
achieve the greatest GHG reductions
between host cities (using the 2010 or
2014 World Cup years as our baseline),
between teams and/or between home
countries and even between fans. Our
FIFA World Cup™ Carbon Challenge
described in section 5.4 will be the
online tool for this purpose.
We will look for opportunities
to reduce non- CO2 greenhouse gas
emissions throughout the value
chains of the event, including
using refrigerants with much lower
greenhouse gas potential. And we will
work with the 12 final Host Cities and
venues to develop carbon plans and
greatly increase the use of renewable
energy onsite before the event itself
even begins.
309

Sustainability in Action
During the years leading up to a U.S.-
hosted FIFA World Cup™, the LOC will
continue to work in close relationship
with our proposed stadia, which
in many cases are already working
diligently to be at the forefront of the
sustainability movement in their daily
operations. Following are just some
examples of these ongoing efforts:
Water
● Philadelphia's World Cup Stadium
cut water use 53 percent with
diaphragms in toilets and cutting
back to 0.5 gallons per flush
● The Rose Bowl has installed 250
waterless urinals, saving millions of
gallons of water
● The Phoenix World Cup Stadium
purchased hydro-scrubbing
machines that use 75 percent less
water than traditional scrubbers
● At the New York World Cup
Stadium, four measures alone will
generate 8.9 million gallons per
year in savings: (1) synthetic turf;
(2) waterless urinals; (3) drought
resistant, low irrigation native
plantings; and (4) granite-dust
parking medians. The stadium
also uses an on-site lagoon system
(bio-retention systems) for storm
sewer and rainwater collection to
control runoff rates and to serve as
a sedimentation basin to settle out
solids. No additional storm water
retention systems are needed as a
result of the use of the lagoons.
310 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
Waste
● The New York World Cup Stadium
uses only compostable serving
items in the concessions, including
plates, cups, cup holders/carriers,
boats, etc. All compostable items
are sent to local farms for mulch or
other uses or go directly to a state-
certified compost facility nearby.
● Seattle’s Husky Stadium is working
with the city to increase recycling to
60 percent by 2012
Energy
● The New York World Cup Stadium
employs a range of energy-saving
technologies, reducing per square
meter energy use by more than 30
percent. Specific actions include:
Use of energy efficient and
USEPA Energy-Star compliant
equipment (e.g., concession
equipment) and lighting.
Use of Direct Digital Control and
Heating, Ventilating, and Air
Conditioning (HVAC) controls to
manage energy use.
Concession Equipment: All
refrigerators, freezers, deep fryers,
dishwashers, hot-food cabinets,
ice machines, and steam cookers
are Energy Star compliant.
● The Philadelphia Eagles
have reduced energy use 42
percent thanks to conservation,
building-management systems
(centralized heating control),
and lighting retrofits.
Transportation
● New York World Cup Stadium
initiatives:
Has a parking-by-permit-only
system, with one permit issued
for every four general admission
tickets, thereby encouraging
car pooling.
During the stadium design and
construction phases, a new
$200 million, on-site, mass
transit rail system was built to
encourage guests to take public
rail transportation.
On-site shuttle buses and support
services vehicles use alternative
fuel or hybrid technology.
Transit checks – a benefits
program that allows users to pay
for their commute using pre-tax
dollars – are offered to employees
to reduce automobile trips and
promote use of mass transit.
● Seattle has installed a light-rail
line from the airport to downtown
Seattle, where Qwest Field is
located, and a local street-car line
will be running by 2013. The city
also has a robust bike system, and
plans are in place for 2,500 electric
car-charging stations.
● Dallas area transit buses are
changing to natural gas and project
that light rail and buses will handle
50 percent of stadium attendees.
THE GAME IS IN ME
— Amari McTavish ● Miami utilizes people-powered
pedicabs to transport people to and
from parking lots at their stadia.
Procurement
● New York World Cup Stadium
initiatives:
Energy Star office equipment
(cordless telephones, computers,
monitors, printers, faxes, copiers,
scanners, water coolers).
Compact fluorescent bulbs
or high-efficiency tube
fluorescents for all fixtures
throughout the stadium.
Alternative-fuel vehicles for
onsite use (gators, carts, etc).
Use of 30 percent post-consumer
recycled paper in office and for
all stadium publications; 100
percent recycled material in soft-
tissue products.
Use of green products for
cleaning purposes (floor wax,
carpet shampoo, window
cleaning, etc.). Any new company
recruited for cleaning services
at the new stadium requires the
use of environmentally-friendly
cleaning products (Green Seal
Standards GS-37).
Development of green
procurement standard
specifications for maintenance-
related RFPs.
311
 Environmental Protection U.S. Soccer Federation That simple idea grew Additional Impacts and Major League Soccer During MLS Cup providing players, guests,
Activities of U.S. Soccer At the United States into a field development Outcomes At the professional club weekend, MLS W.O.R.K.S. media, staff, and other
and Major League Soccer Soccer Federation, work in plan, spurred by an initial level, Major League also partnered with the service groups with a first-
the area of sustainability investment of $100,000 The U.S. Soccer Soccer has already set the city of Seattle to conduct a class, professional facility.
U.S. sports leagues have began in 1998 with a from the U.S. Soccer Foundation came away cornerstone to address “Clean and Green Seattle” Additional goals of these
already adopted ambitious small yet significant Foundation and matched from its partnership environmental protection event that was coordinated guides are to provide design
environmental initiatives program from the U.S. by substantial funds and with the EPA with an issues by establishing MLS under their MLS W.O.R.K.S. direction for facilities that
and have established Soccer Foundation, the resources from the EPA. increased appreciation W.O.R.K.S. GREENER GOALS, Community Service are functional, efficient,
rigorous policies related to Superfund Soccer Field The program, announced of the benefits (and a program launched on Program. Local volunteers flexible, fan friendly,
the six core areas identified Redevelopment Initiative, in July of 1999 by then-EPA importance) of reusing Earth Day 2009. joined MLS players and environmentally responsible,
by FIFA. These initiatives which was implemented Administrator Carol Browner blighted sites for public MLS W.O.R.K.S. GREENER executives to plant trees safe, and convenient.
are serving as a blueprint in coordination (and now director of the recreational benefit. GOALS has partnered with and pick up litter in the
for Major League Soccer, with the United States White House Office of the Natural Resources South Downtown area. The Natural Resources Defense
which announced its own Environmental Protection Energy and Climate Change Environmental Defense Council (NRDC) to MLS W.O.R.K.S. Community Council Greening Advisor
environmental initiative at Agency (EPA). Policy), created a framework officials at all levels of identify ways to reduce its Service Program is a The NRDC is one
the 2009 MLS Cup. The Superfund Soccer for designating potential government benefited carbon footprint and raise collaborative effort to of the country’s
Following are some best Field Redevelopment sites as well as the process from partnering with the awareness of environmental combine sport and service, major environmental
practice examples from Initiative was a proactive, for seeking local community U.S. Soccer Foundation. issues throughout the promote good will within organizations, and
the U.S. at the league and community-based program engagement in the design They came away with a football community. MLS markets, and improve Major League Soccer has
federation levels. that aimed to safely turn and development of greater understanding lives and communities at worked with it to develop
Communities that severely blighted industrial these sites. of how to engage local Community Outreach the grassroots level. an online-based NRDC
have benefited sites (Superfund sites) From the very beginning, stakeholders in the MLS W.O.R.K.S. GREENER In 2010, MLS W.O.R.K.S. Greening Advisor system
from the into safe and welcoming the U.S. Soccer Foundation redevelopment of their GOALS is designed to is continuing to activate that was introduced to
Superfund Field green spaces, specifically had a strong hand in former industrial spaces, undertake community community service projects the 16 MLS clubs at the
Redevelopment public football fields. The this program, providing and were able to see, initiatives in partnership focused on environmental start of the 2010 season.
initiative: EPA handled all aspects of engineering support first-hand, the value of with MLS clubs and sustainability and The customized Greening
● Front Royal, Virginia – remediation and worked from the internationally “alternative surfaces” educate football fans raise awareness in the Advisor will help each
a seven-field complex with the U.S. Soccer recognized Clark such as synthetic grass about the importance football community club and their stadium
on the former Avtex Foundation to engage local Companies. In this manner, that provided a safe of environmental through broadcast operations group identify
Superfund site. stakeholders (municipalities, the Foundation and the “cap,” which on its own is sustainability. The MLS and in-stadium public opportunities to pursue
football communities, EPA were assured that considered an additional Cup in Seattle marked service announcements, better environmental
● Steubenville, Ohio – a
nine-field complex on landowners, and other the final product met the degree of environmental the culmination of last electronic communications, practices focused on
former AML property. interested end-users) in a standards and the needs protection for these sites year’s events and the and collateral. office operations,
site development plan. of all the players involved. that are intended for league’s commitment stadium operations and
● Vintondale, Pennsylvania This program began The venture has been a public use. to environmental MLS Venue Design/Training maintenance, club and
– a full-sized public when two EPA staffers, a winner for everyone, and sustainability. Specific Site Design fan transportation, energy
football field developed
coach and a referee, noted its success has led to the game-day elements MLS is also working with use, paper use, concession
on an acid mine drainage
and amended soil site. that blighted industrial redevelopment of other included distribution of the NRDC to improve operations, green-events
sites around the nation types of blighted sites reusable bags and NRDC the requirements and planning, recycling, and
● Leadville, Colorado – cleaned up by their agency such as “Abandoned Mine eco-tip wallet guides to recommendations in waste management.
with the assistance of a as part of its Superfund Lands” (AML) and the fans, partnering with one the MLS Venue Design
U.S. Soccer Foundation actions were generally more common “brownfield” of the league’s sponsors to and Training Site
“Planning Grant” that
flat and frequently fallow. remediation areas. maximize recycling efforts, Design Guides to reduce
utilized the design and
planning expertise Why not make them into and offsetting 100 percent environmental impact.
of Clough Harbor football fields? of the electricity used at These guides
& Associates, the Qwest Field during the MLS outline general
community developed Cup. The carbon dioxide design requirements,
what is believed to be the reduction value was the recommendations, and
highest synthetic-grass
equivalent of more than considerations to create
football field in the world
on a former Superfund 1,134 metric tons, enough a venue ideal for Major
site. It sits at an elevation to power more than 118 League Soccer. They
of 3,078 meters. homes for year. define criteria central to

312 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion 313

 5.3
Organization Plan and Governance
for Sustainability
Leadership
The U.S. has designed a World Cup
sustainability concept that, from day
one, goes beyond simple rhetoric.
We started by proactively making
sustainability part of the USA Bid
campaign and set up processes to
make it a cornerstone of the senior
advisory team's responsibilities. And
we will further set the example by
using sustainability as a fundamental
design of our LOC structure, from the
inside out.
The ISO 14001 management
plan will help guide, in part, the
organizational structure for managing
environmental performance. One of
the first steps will be to establish a
separate Sustainability Department
headed by a Chief Sustainability Officer
(CSO) with expertise in the field as part
of the first wave of LOC employees.
314 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
The LOC will establish a
Sustainability Department that will
start with two employees seven years
before the event and grow to 28 total
employees dedicated to sustainability
during the World Cup year.
The CSO will create a department
comprised of experienced employees
from the sustainability, government,
NGO, and sports sectors in order to
work on national and international
sustainability initiatives on behalf
of the LOC as well as FIFA. The
sustainability team will work across
the headquarters and venues, and
will be charged with setting specific
goals, guidelines, and implementation
procedures. They will also implement
the measurement and evaluation
methods to ensure that the FIFA
World Cup™ environmental and
sustainability goals are rigorously
tracked and managed.
The LOC will
establish a
Sustainability
Department that
will start with
two employees
seven years
before the event
and grow to 28
total employees
dedicated to
sustainability
during the World
Cup year.
The CSO will be responsible for
achieving the objectives and targets
and for describing the means and
time frame within which they will
be achieved. The Sustainability
Department will work closely
with each venue (and the Host
City sustainability leadership) to
achieve the dramatic reduction
of impacts on-site, coordinate
the development of procurement
policies with the procurement team,
have input on vendor selection,
work with communications/media
teams to create messaging, manage
the sustainability plan, and track
progress against and report on
sustainability goals. The CSO will also
coordinate measurement and carbon
footprint exercises and work with
the Host Cities, partners, and other
stakeholders to deliver on our targets.
In addition, each venue will designate
a sustainability leader responsible for
meeting ISO 14001 standards and all
sustainability goals.
The LOC will also ensure that all
employees and volunteers receive
training on sustainability principles
and on the specific environmental
goals of the U.S.-hosted FIFA World
Cup™. All participants in the EMS
will be apprised of their roles and
responsibilities in conforming to our
goals, and the potential consequences
of not using specified procedures.
As part of the legacy of our
operations, the Sustainability
Department will also maintain
a centralized resource for best
practices/sharing on environmental
matters. These best practices could
be publicized on the FIFA Give and
Go sustainability network, which
we will describe in detail in the
coming pages. Finally, the LOC’s
Sustainability Department will also
focus on research and development
areas to facilitate the introduction of
new technologies and participate in
innovation initiatives.
LOC Environmental Policy
The LOC is committed to reducing
its environmental footprint and
promoting environmental stewardship
at all levels of our organization.
Our goal is to provide an exciting
experience for fans while minimizing
the organization’s impact on the
environment and helping to preserve
the ability of future generations to
safely live and play in our shared
natural environment.
The LOC will strive to identify and
purchase environmentally-preferable
supplies and services for all matches
and team events. Wherever possible,
the LOC will strive to minimize
pollution and waste, conserve energy
and water, protect habitat, support
renewable energy resources, buy
environmentally-friendly products,
and encourage environmentally-
preferable transportation. Our goals
will focus us on reducing the direct
impact of the matches to nearly zero,
and inspire fans around the world to
build a more sustainable world.
Employee understanding and
involvement is essential to the
implementation of this policy. All
employees will receive a copy of
this policy as part of their training
to ensure that we improve our
environmental performance in all
areas. Employees at all levels will be
involved in supporting our goals.
315

USA Bid Committee Sustainability
Advisory Panel
To underscore our level of commitment
to environmental and social
responsibility, the USA Bid Committee
created a Special Sustainability Advisor
position and convened a cross-section
of leading thinkers in the sustainability
sector to develop the proposed
sustainability plan for a FIFA World
Cup™ in the U.S. These individuals
formed an Advisory Panel, participated
in formal brainstorm sessions, helped
craft the U.S. vision, and contributed to
the U.S. Bid Book.
The panel was led by Special
Sustainability Advisor Andrew
Winston, author and globally
recognized expert on green business,
and included:
● Robert Accarino, Director of
Global Energy Management,
Abbott Laboratories
● Valerie Casey, Founder of Designers
Accord and one of TIME magazine’s
2009 Heroes of the Environment
● Gil Friend, President and CEO,
Natural Logic
● Allen Hershkowitz, Ph.D., Senior
Scientist, Natural Resources
Defense Council
316 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
● Todd Jacobson, Vice President of
Community Relations, NBA
● Stan Laskowski, Lecturer/Advisor,
Dept. of Earth & Environmental
Science of the University
of Pennsylvania
● Rita Ricobelli, Director of
Research, The Earth Institute,
Columbia University The
Game Is
● Will Sarni, Founder & CEO,
In me
DOMANI Consulting
● Lou Vasta, President, — David Bairdow
Vasta & Associates
● Freya Williams, Senior Partner and
Planning Director, OgilvyEarth
Sustainability Advisory Board for
the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup™
To fulfill our mission of delivering
impact on the global level, the LOC, in
coordination with FIFA, will establish
a FIFA World Cup™ Advisory Board
that builds off the type of talent we
utilized during the bidding process.
It would be comprised of leaders
who have demonstrated the vision,
leadership, and experience to deliver
change at all levels of government,
business, and public sectors. It is
proposed that this board focuses
on both the environmental and
the sustainable social and human
development initiatives to ensure the
best possible strategic guidance.
 5.4
Engagement Plan
Awareness Programs and
Campaigns
This section outlines concepts for
enlisting volunteers in our mission,
focusing on youth as a means to
engage others, cultivating awareness
and empowering people to actively
participate, and, finally, leaving a
lasting legacy.
A FIFA World Cup™ in the U.S. will
be a resounding call to action. It will
have bold goals and thinking, reflecting
the optimism and energy that are
characteristic of the United States.
As we have noted, the U.S. will
take a different approach if granted
the honor of hosting the FIFA World
Cup™. To mark our journey, we will
create “annual stepping stones”
and implement tools along with
campaigns, some of them intended
to start soon after the LOC is fully
established. Key dates for these
campaigns include the annual Earth
Day, the Millennium Development
Goals announcement in 2015, the U.S.
National Parks Centennial celebration
in 2016, and the 2017/2021 FIFA
Confederations Cup, among others.
To achieve the ambitious goals we
have established, the U.S. proposes to
launch the following initiatives:
318 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
● We will create a FIFA Sustainability
Expo in each Host City, at FIFA
Fan Fests™ and other venues
to showcase innovation that
demonstrates what is possible
in sustainability.
● We will create FIFA Earth All-Stars,
turning our thousands of volunteers
into ambassadors for our mission
during the event.
● We propose to create the FIFA
Carbon Challenge, a competition
that can be recreated around every
team, federation, and association
around the globe and that is aimed
to lower the carbon footprint of
all participants.
● We will also create the FIFA Give
and Go social online network,
which will allow fans around the
world to express and exchange
ideas on sustainability.
● And finally, we will propose to
FIFA the inclusion of a new visual
element to the existing FIFA Fair
Play program that will serve as
a worldwide salute to shared
responsibility for our planet and
our future.
As the World's Fair did, we will create areas where people interact with the latest environmental knowledge.
The FIFA Sustainability Expo
The U.S. proposes to create a FIFA
Sustainability Expo in the Host Cities,
Fan Fests and stadia to demonstrate
the newest technologies and freshest
ideas for building a sustainable
world. We will transform specific
areas around the World Cup stadia
and other official venues to engaging
places where people can learn and
share best practices on sustainable
A FIFA World lifestyles – all under the theme of the
Cup™ in the World Cup. The FIFA Sustainability
U.S. will be Expo will be a “living showcase”
a resounding call connecting people to new technologies
to action. It will that advance FIFA’s core topics of
have bold goals water, waste, energy, transportation,
and thinking, procurement, and climate change.
reflecting the
optimism and
energy that are
characteristic of
the United States.
We will engage the media to spread
the word by arranging tours for them
to view, participate in, and write about
these centers. We will create school
science-fair competitions related to
environmental sustainability and
showcase the best ideas at these
events. We will enlist national team
players to champion the program. We
will encourage sponsors to promote
the Expo through their respective
activation programs.
The FIFA Sustainability Expo will be
designed to engage U.S. communities
in recycling, the first step in any
environmental sustainability
initiative. While some American cities
already have recycling programs,
others do not. The FIFA Sustainability
Expo concept will not only transform
World Cup stadia into learning centers
but transform communities into
recycling centers, leaving a physical
legacy for the future.
319
 The Bid Committee has already
examined the possibility of assigning
space for the Expo as part of the initial
Stadium Overlay assessments for the
proposed stadia and we are confident
that space can be allocated.
Some proposed concepts to
showcase at the FIFA Sustainability
Expo include:
● Creating stations for sports
equipment. Building upon the U.S.
Soccer Foundation’s Passback
program, we will provide an area
to donate cleats, sneakers, and
clothing to the developing world
and other places in need.
● Creating an area for large-scale
recycling events. We will encourage
recycling of items such as electronic
equipment (televisions, computers,
cell phones, etc.) and facilitate fan
and employee recycling through
drop-off programs related to Earth
Day (e.g., drop-off of batteries, light
bulbs, fluorescent tubes, compact
fluorescent lamps).
● Repurposing World Cup grass. We
will donate grass from World Cup
matches to developing fields in the
football community.
● Reclaiming and recovering food. We
will work with local organizations
such as City Harvest and Second
Helpings to redistribute unused
food from our stadiums and FIFA
Fan Fests™ to those in need.
● Working with the “RecycleMania”
program for schools. This is
a friendly competition and
benchmarking tool to promote
waste reduction activities in
campus communities. Participating
schools can see how their results
match up against other schools and
rally their campus communities to
increase their efforts. Coca-Cola,
a FIFA Partner through 2022, is
already a sponsor of this program.
320 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
● Challenging communities to
organize donations. We will Sample FIFA Earth All-
activate the FIFA Fan Fests™ with Stars Environmental
communities asking them to rally Pledge
behind fundraising efforts to
support our proposed programs. Five simple things that Energy Air Waste
We will reward the best efforts with each of us can do, starting
unique experiences at these public today. Whether we live in ● I PLEDGE to replace ● IPLEDGE to replace ● I PLEDGE to reduce my
viewings such as VIP treatment, an apartment or house, four light bulbs with at least one car trip use of plastic shopping
backstage access, etc. these small choices can help compact fluorescent a week with walking, bags, by substituting
create a healthier, cleaner light bulbs (CFLs). bicycling, carpooling, reusable bags instead.
● Developing comprehensive fan and safer environment for or public transit.
education and participation everyone. This concept ● I CAN eliminate one ● ICAN save up to 208
programs such as public service is based on an existing ton of carbon dioxide ● ICAN decrease carbon plastic bags a year from
announcements, scoreboard program that the city emissions over the life dioxide emissions by being made.
messages, “green” program of Nashville is already of the CFLs. 454 kg.
● TOGETHER all
goals and achievements, green implementing. We plan
promotional events, and best to adapt this for the FIFA ● TOGETHER all citizens ● TOGETHER all citizens citizens can eliminate
environmental practices. World Cup™ campaign. can save enough can eliminate more than 120,400,000 plastic bags
kilowatt hours to power 290,000 tons of carbon and 1,024 metric tons of
a “predetermined” dioxide, the equivalent waste every year.
FIFA Earth All-Stars number of households. of removing 5,800 cars
from the road every year.
The FIFA Earth All-Stars concept will
emerge from the tremendous support
for a FIFA World Cup™ in the U.S.
and appeal to one of America’s most
cherished values: volunteerism. We
will create a legion of ambassadors to
start making real impact, beginning Water Land
with the Host Cities.
First we will enlist a community ● IPLEDGE to turn off ● IPLEDGE to plant and
of volunteers, which we will call the the water when care for at least one tree
FIFA Earth All-Stars. We will conduct brushing my teeth. this year.
a survey to recruit these individuals
based on enthusiasm for the task ● ICAN SAVE 14.4 liters ● ICAN save at least
and for our goals. To qualify as a a day. 5.9 kg of carbon
World Cup match volunteer, these dioxide from the
individuals must complete a social or ● TOGETHER all citizens atmosphere annually.
environmental task and make a pledge can conserve enough
to the World Cup sustainability policy. water in a year to fill ● TOGETHER all citizens
a World Cup stadium can eliminate as much
four times. carbon dioxide as the
trees on 1,883 hectares
of undeveloped land
every year.
321
 The U.S. will train and certify these
individuals according to a curriculum
developed by sustainability specialists,
and confer status in one of FIFA’s core
environmental areas. To generate
awareness and enthusiasm, we
will design special uniforms and
commemorative pins and create
“green teams” for specific tasks
such as recycling, health promotion,
etc. Each volunteer will be asked to
“Adopt a Goal” and explain how he or
she will share that goal with friends
and family. We will create a points-
based system of incentives and define
specific goals that will be measured
and rewarded.
We will also develop a stadium
curriculum so that stadium
management and staff become
sustainability stewards and
ambassadors as well.
In essence, the FIFA Earth All-
Star program will create a “cultural
currency” for volunteerism. The
program will emphasize tangibility,
accountability, and results. Perhaps
more important, it will be a symbol
of pride, thereby inspiring future
environmental “change makers.”
The legacy of this FIFA program
would be priceless.
Sample of the FIFA World Cup™ Carbon Challenge Flight Footprint Calculator
Source: www.carbonfund.org/jetblue
322 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
FIFA World Cup™ Host City/
Stadium Carbon Challenge
World Cup passion is second to
none. Thus the FIFA World Cup™
in the U.S.A. will seek to create an
energy-inspired World Cup – what
we are calling the World Cup Carbon
Challenge. This will be a challenge
conducted on the local, national,
and international levels to compete
for the greatest reductions of
carbon emissions.
Annually or biennially, in the years
leading up to 2018/2022, participants
will be asked to report data online
which will then be ranked according
to who achieves the largest reductions
per capita, the largest total reductions,
the least emissions per capita, or has
the highest emission reduction rate.
The online-based World Cup Carbon
Challenge will encourage fans – and
ultimately ticket holders – to help lower
the event footprint by using efficient
transportation. It will establish
competitions among venue cities for
the greatest footprint reductions and
it will engage schools, teams, and even
countries in the challenge.
Real-time measurement screens
could be installed at each stadium
to track these reductions and equate
them to the amount of land saved or
water provided at projects around
the world. As incentives for the World
Cup Carbon Challenge, the U.S. would
propose to conduct promotions at
every match, which could include prize
give-aways such as an electric car,
home retrofit, or home energy audit.
In line with the “educate and
empower” approach to sustainability,
we propose to provide fans with
an online tool that allows them to
calculate and understand their national
and international travel footprint.
Furthermore, we will give them the
ability to offset their footprint by
purchasing Renewable Energy Credits
that are endorsed by FIFA.
FIFA Give and Go
The U.S. proposes to create a web-
based concept called FIFA’s Give
and Go to allow individual fans to
express their views on sustainability.
By pairing this platform with the
FIFA Football X-Change described
in Chapter 4, we will allow a full
integration of all sustainability
programs surrounding a FIFA World
Cup™ in the United States. Through
this platform we will create a place
where all fans will be able to tell
their own “green stories,” explain
how they made a difference, and list
their personal environmental goals.
Athletes and celebrities will be asked
to include their stories and opinions so
the public can interact with them.
Together these individuals – One
on One, One by One – will become a
powerful network with whom FIFA
and FIFA Partners can communicate.
It will include positive “buycotts”
for sustainable FIFA products,
newsletter sign-ups for updates on
MDG-related projects, and other
relevant information. Names captured
during World Cup ticket applications
will be directed to the website for
environmental tools and ideas. Similar
to the American Express “Members
Project,” members worldwide can
vote on projects they feel are most
important to their communities.
In the spirit of the One on One,
One by One philosophy, the proposed
FIFA Give and Go platform could also
allow people to personally engage an
individual or a cause, take action and
finance their initiatives through a
proposed micro-lending model.
Reproducing the popular social
lending site, Kiva, a FIFA Give and
Go micro-lending model could
enable users to solicit and channel
donations for environmental
initiatives worldwide. Kiva is a
non-profit organization that allows
people to lend money via the Internet
to microfinance institutions in
developing countries, which in turn
lend the money to individuals and
small businesses worldwide. Since its
inception in 2005, the site has loaned
more than $100 million to more than
250,000 entrepreneurs, more than 80
percent of whom are women, and has
positively changed the lives of people
in 187 countries.
323
Adding Sustainability to Inspiring FIFA World Cup™
the FIFA Fair Play Campaign viewers to play their part

FIFA Fair Play has become a universal
symbol. Football fans the world over
recognize the yellow flag and blue Fair
Play symbols as a reminder and an
inspiration to “the ten golden rules”
that “reinforce the sense of fraternity
and cooperation among the members
of the worldwide football family.”
The tenth golden rule of Fair Play
is to “Use football to make a better
world.” As FIFA states, “Football has
an incredible power, which can be
used to make this world a better place
in which everyone can live. Use this
powerful platform to promote peace,
equality, health, and education for
everyone. Make the game better,
take it to the world, and you will be
fostering a better world.”
FIFA’s Fair Play initiative has
inspired the U.S. to propose the next
generation of “Fair Play” for the
2018/2022 FIFA World Cup™. This
concept will be an extension of the
Fair Play movement, enhanced in
While our proposed programs and
campaigns will reach every ticket
holder at the stadia as well as every
attendee at a FIFA Fan FestTM, World
Cup viewers in the billions will also be
a key audience for our sustainability
messaging before and during the
broadcast of the 2018/2022 FIFA
World Cup™. During the event, we
will encourage viewers at home to
take simple actions, such as changing
their cable boxes to “conserve energy”
mode, or turning the lights off in
other rooms in the house. These are
relatively simple tasks that have broad
reach and even broader implications.
As part of its World Cup broadcast
package, FIFA regularly negotiates
the right to air public service
announcements (PSAs). It is our
understanding that many of these
PSAs have gone unused in past World
Cup events. The U.S. proposes to work
with FIFA to identify opportunities to
maximize the PSA platform to express Our goal is to inspire all fans to take action.

honor of the Millennium Development powerful messages. A segment of

Goals, which will be reviewed and
updated in 2015.
We propose to supplement the
current FIFA Fair Play Flag with a new
green banner signaling FIFA’s vision
and commitment to a sustainable
world. Sponsors could be challenged to
dedicate one advertising board at a key
World Cup match to their vision of a
sustainable world, similar to Hublot’s
“Say No to Racism” campaign. FIFA
could implement its new vision at
other FIFA competitions leading up to
the 2018/2022 event.
FIFA’s PSAs could provide an excellent
platform to highlight selected Engaging Stakeholders in the
environmental issues in the 200+
Sustainability Cause
markets airing the FIFA World Cup™
matches, and include easy messages To promote and communicate these
that will have immediate impact, programs, it will be essential to
such as turning off lights, “One on have the full engagement of all the
One, One by One.” various stakeholders (FIFA Family,
LOC, Host Cities, government) and
fans (ticket holders and television
viewers) for the World Cup. This is an
exciting, yet daunting challenge, but
the cause is worthy.
Through the group’s existing
networks, established relationships,
sustainability experience, and deep
roots in their respective industries
and communities, we will be able
to further expand our message
both nationally and internationally.
Additionally, this group could provide
access to vital sources of revenue to
support our sustainability movement,
such as public grants, fundraisings,
sponsorships, matching programs, etc.
Following are some initial examples
of how we envision enlisting the power
of some of these stakeholders.

324 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion 325

Partners – Host Cities
Our Host Cities are key partners
for the LOC. These communities
have been working with us since the
bidding process began to focus on the
challenges of sustainability. The LOC
will continue to work closely with the
Host Cities to leverage their existing
programs and use their network
of experts to further support our
World Cup vision. As we mentioned
before, our 18 proposed Host Cities
have embraced with excitement the
opportunity to have football become
the new face of their movement.
We will approach our Host Cities
to leverage their environmental
sustainability experience.
Sustainability measurement techniques, such as the ones reflected in
these rankings for Seattle in 2008 are some of the examples of best practices
Host Cities have committed to share with us.
Source: www.sustainlane.com
326 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
FIFA Partners
A FIFA World Cup™ in the United
States will attempt to incorporate the
environmental priorities of current
and potential FIFA partners directly
into the event itself by finding synergy
points between their goals and the
ones of our proposed programs.
Our goal would be to work with FIFA
to find ways to directly involve the
FIFA Partners in the many programs
outlined as part of our proposal.
In coordination with FIFA, we will
seek to work with the FIFA Partners to
use the World Cup as a vehicle to green
their operations as well as their supply
chains. The LOC wants to establish
sustainability requirements for all its
own vendors and will work with FIFA
Partners to create a lasting impact
by encouraging them to use the FIFA
World Cup™ as an incentive for their
supply chains to “go green.”
Schools will be an incubator for our sustainability message.
Schools
Needless to say, Schools will be an
important part of our environmental
outreach effort. As outlined in
Chapter 4, we propose to inspire
students through the FIFA Football
for Life educational initiatives.
Some states, such as California and
Maryland, already work with the
U.S. Department of Education and
mandate sustainability education
in their curricula. We will look for
ways to overlay our Football for Life
initiatives to these programs to
enhance their appeal.
Engagement of the FIFA Family
Athletes, both past and present, can
be powerful assets and agents for
change: They set the example for
children worldwide. We recommend
expanding our proposed Change
Makers concept explained in Chapter
4 and invite professional football
players to embrace it for one day.
Working through the individual
federations, FIFA could engage
athletes to serve as role models,
mentors, and spokespeople around
key environmental issues and ask
them to donate one hour of their
time to promote our cause in their
local communities.
An even greater goal, and one that
we realize is difficult to achieve, would
be to organize a volunteer day across
the U.S.A. in honor of the event itself, so
that the FIFA Family (including World
Cup participating players and coaches)
could go out in the local communities
where the Team Base Camps are
located and donate one hour of their
time to a preselected environmental
cause. This concept could be
implemented one or two weeks prior to
the beginning of the World Cup.
In Conclusion
This is just a sampling of the ideas we
will generate to align the stakeholders
of the FIFA World Cup™ to programs
outlined in this chapter and the
preceding chapter on Sustainable
Social and Human Development.
At the moment, the ideas exist only
on paper, but we are confident they
will inspire millions of people to take
action through the powerful force of
football and the FIFA World Cup™.
327
 Environmental Legacies
of the FIFA World Cup™
in the U.S.A.
Reductions in FIFA’s Core
Environmental Areas
In accordance with FIFA’s
requirements we are aiming
to deliver a legacy that will
start by minimizing the
footprint of the event in
FIFA’s six core areas:
● Water
● Waste
● Energy
● Transportation
● Procurement
● Climate Change
Physical Changes
Some of the tangible
changes that a U.S.-hosted
World Cup will leave as
part of its environmental
sustainability legacy are:
● Permanent changes to
the venues in the years
leading up to and during
the event
● Host City initiatives that
will be inspired by the
World Cup
● The positive
environmental effects of
successfully working with
FIFA partners to use the
World Cup as a vehicle
to green their operations
as well as to green their
supply chains.
New Revenue Sources
Capitalizing on the
innovative ideas proposed,
we anticipate revenue
sources for funding by
involving all groups in the
staging of the event.
● Individual donations
328 en v i ron m en ta l pro t e c t ion
● Agreed sponsorship
based on
FIFA’s regulations
● Access to federal and
local grants
● Special events
● Corporate
matching programs
● Sale of items/
merchandise tied
to initiatives
When contemplating
revenue sources, it is also
important to understand
that many of the
environmental programs
will generate cost savings
at the operational level
for the LOC.
● Savings from
FIFA and LOC
procurement policies
● Savings from participant
recycling and other
sustainability efforts
Strength in Partnership
The creation of expanded
partnerships working
toward common
sustainability goals will be
a major asset. In addition
to FIFA, its Partners, the
U.S. Soccer Federation, the
U.S. Soccer Foundation,
and Major League Soccer,
a FIFA World Cup™ in the
U.S. would seek to extend
the FIFA Family even
further to include:
● LOC Advisory Board
members
● LOC suppliers
● Host Cities
● Stadia management
● U.S. NGOs: Share our
Strength, Grassroots
Soccer, City Harvest,
Second Helpings
● International NGO’s
– e.g., Earth Institute,
Heifer International,
Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation,
Natural Resources
Defense Council
● Special Events partners
– e.g., Earth Day
Foundation, National
Parks Foundation
● Football for Hope
partners – e.g.,
streetfootballworld,
Urban Soccer
Collaborative
● Youth football groups
● Schools, colleges,
universities, staff
and volunteers
Legacy Organization
In response to FIFA’s call to
utilize the power of football
to address sustainability,
we envision delivering
a legacy that will serve
as a guide for the global
football community to
further incorporate the
importance of a healthy
environment in all aspects
of their daily operations.
We expect that our best
practices in areas such
as strategy and staffing,
venue operations and
others will leave a
knowledge transfer for
future FIFA World Cups™
and other sporting events.
● LOC Policy
● LOC Green Operations
● LOC Procurement
Guidelines
● LOC measurement
criteria
● Legacy-giving program
for event equipment and
purchases
● Operational guidelines
New Lifestyles and
Behaviors
Changing people’s
behavior allows a legacy
to transcend time, and
potentially become one
that gets passed along
from generation to
generation. We expect that
a U.S.-hosted World Cup
will energize areas such as:
● Recycling in the cities
● Recycling in the schools
● Sponsor employee
campaigns around
sustainability
● Football’s becoming
the new face of
sustainability worldwide
● Activating even
Rather than bricks and mortar,
greater volunteerism
through football
a U.S.-hosted FIFA World Cup™ will
Realizing these legacies
be built on human capital. Rather
will serve notice to
everyone that the FIFA
than goods and people traveling,
World Cup™ – more than
any event in the world –
it will be our ideas that move.
is serious and prepared
to deliver measurable
And rather than expending energy,
results when it comes
to demonstrating the
a U.S.-hosted FIFA World Cup™ will
powerful force of good
that football and sports
harness the positive force of fans,
can play in bringing about
positive social change.
players, and communities to achieve
human goals that transcend the
issues of race, culture, and geography.
329