Qatar's Zero-Carbon World Cup Claim Sparks Controversy: What are Qatar's Annual Carbon Emissions?

The organizers of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 called the event the first carbon-neutral or zero-carbon tournament in history. However, environmental critics say this claim is "misleading" to the public and warn that the event caused numerous other environmental problems, ranging from waste to water usage.

According to Our World in Data, Qatar produced 95.6 million tons of carbon emissions in 2021. This figure is higher than the previous year's 92.8 million tons.

An investigation by the non-profit environmental group Carbon Market Watch questioned the zero-carbon emissions label during the World Cup. The organization stated that organizers tended to underestimate emissions.

Carbon Market Watch estimated that Qatar would emit approximately 3.6 million tons of CO2 during the 2022 Qatar World Cup. This amount is roughly equal to the annual emissions of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Most of these greenhouse gases will come from flights and accommodation for over one million visitors, as well as the construction of seven new stadiums, among other infrastructure.

Qatar stated it reduced carbon emissions by installing solar-powered lighting and cooling systems and building "energy-efficient stadiums." Unavoidable emissions will be offset by local green projects.