2023-06-07 19:14:52
The Swiss Loyalty Commission (CSL) condemns FIFA regarding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. At issue: remarks from the football umbrella, who claimed that the World Cup was carbon neutral. A “historic” decision rejoice the plaintiffs.
Last year, the Swiss Climate Alliance and four associations from France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom lodged a complaint for unfair competition with the CSL, speaking of “greenwashing”. They were surprised that FIFA could boast of “a carbon-neutral World Cup”, explained the Lawyers for the climate on Wednesday.
In their eyes, such allegations are fallacious. They explain that, in calculating its CO2 emissions, FIFA did not take into account the impact of the 500 daily flights allowing supporters to come to Qatar from their hotels in Dubai, Riyadh or Kuwait. And that it has, for example, only “very little” taken into account the emissions generated by the construction of seven stadiums.
>> See also: Nouvo’s topic on the carbon footprint of football pitches:
Erroneous and misleading impression
After a long and complex procedure, the CSL announces that it has “approved” the complaints. She explains in a statement that for climate neutrality must contain correct claims and must not mislead the public.
In the offending publications, FIFA “sometimes resorted to assertions formulated in absolute terms, thus creating the erroneous and misleading impression that the World Cup would already be climate-neutral before and during the tournament”. While it was a promise “in the indefinite future and provided that certain concrete conditions are met”.
>> To read also: Proceedings against Fifa for false climate promises
For the CSL, it is also “not permissible” to claim that the sustainability objectives have been achieved until definitive and generally accepted methods of measuring sustainability are available”. The burden of proof lies with to the company, which FIFA has failed to do, the statement added. Accordingly, the committee recommends that FIFA drop the disputed allegations in the future “unless it can prove full offsetting of CO2 emissions”.
Unfair competition
This position taken by the CSL is a delight for the complainant associations. “It is a” historic decision “, enthuses Raphaël Mahaim, one of the lawyers for the climate, who recalls that Switzerland does not have an authority responsible for monitoring greenwashing.
The commission found a violation of the law on unfair competition, “which possibly represents a criminal offence”, he observes. “We will review whether we are pursuing the matter with a criminal information,” he told Keystone-ATS.
act fast
In general, Climate Lawyers want to engage in a reflection to be able to act upstream and quickly put an end to greenwashing when it occurs. One of the avenues would be to strengthen the powers of the commission.
Raphaël Mahaim believes that the CSL’s decision is likely to change practices. It will have a “quite significant” preventive effect, he notes, because organizations and companies fear image damage. He recalls that he wants a real greening of practices and wants to avoid communications that are not in line with reality.
FIFA, for its part, has twenty days to appeal. In its statement addressed to the CSL, it considered that consumers were “in no way” misled. According to her, the climate neutrality of the 2022 World Cup is in line with the facts and it can be checked, since a report will be published in 2023. She also disputes that the assertions in question are publicity.
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