Staging the global football frenzy will create more carbon emissions than a billion cheeseburgers.
The fans travelling to a football game make up a large part of the carbon footprint. Photograph: Thomas Kienzle/AP
The carbon footprint the 2010 World Cup:
2.8 million tonnes CO2e
To put this headline figure in perspective, 2.8m tonnes is roughly equivalent to 6,000 space shuttle fights, three quiet years for Mount Etna, or 20 cheeseburgers for every man, woman and child in the UK.
The figure (which like all carbon footprint estimates should be taken with a pinch of salt) comes from a study carried out last year by the South African department of environmental affairs and tourism and the local Norwegian embassy. The study looked at the players and their entourages travelling around, the construction of the sites, energy used at the stadiums, accommodation and fans travelling. Here's how the total breaks down:
The estimated carbon footprint of the 2010 world cup An estimated 1.2 million people will see matches live, so that works out at at a massive carbon cost of 2.3 tonnes per spectator – equivalent to more than four months' worth of gas and electricity use in the typical UK home. Luckily for the carbon credentials of the World Cup, however, each of the 64 matches will be viewed on the television by a guesstimated 93 million people worldwide. At two hours per match, including intervals, extra times, penalty nailbiters and the bit where they swap shirts at the end, that adds up to a massive 12 billion fan-hours of top-quality entertainment.
If these ballpark numbers are correct, the World Cup comes in at a much less shocking 230g CO2e. That would make watching a full game comparable environmentally to buying a couple of cappuccinos or a pint of imported larger. Of course, your own television will consume electricity and add to the footprint but even in the worst scenario (watching alone on a 42-inch plasma screen) your TV will only double the footprint.
By comparison, a Premiership match, at 820 tonnes, comes out at a tiny 45g per viewer-hour (plus televisions), with over nine-tenths of the entertainment being exported around the world.
Even greener still is a kick-around in your local park or street…
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