Doha, 22 June 2022

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC (Q22) – the operational arm of FIFA and the host country for the delivery of the tournament, has achieved ISO 20121 certification, the international standard that sets requirements for developing and implementing an effective management system to deliver a sustainable event.

The certification was granted recently after an extensive audit process that was initiated during the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021, which was held exactly a year before the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world.

Nasser Al Khater, CEO, Q22, said: “Sustainability has been at the heart of Qatar 2022 from the start, and the independent recognition of the delivery of best practices reflects our enduring commitment to it. Among the many legacies of this tournament, sustainability is a critical element of planning and preparation that teams across Q22, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy and FIFA have been focused on, and I hope future tournament organisers will look to us as a model for hosting a mega-event.”

José Retana, Sustainability Senior Manager, Q22, said: “We are proud to become the first FIFA World Cup in history to obtain the ISO 20121 certification. This demonstrates that according to the evaluation by a third-party accredited entity, world-class management practices are being implemented to deliver an inclusive, green and legacy-oriented event.

Only by embedding sustainability across all our operations, can we deliver a truly successful event that leaves a long-lasting, positive impact on fans, players, workforce, local communities and partners. That’s what robust sustainability management does. This certification is testimony to the sustainability efforts of everyone in our organisation,” he added.

SGS carried out the extensive audit process. It is a world-leading testing, inspection and certification company that has a wealth of experience in certifying mega-sport event organisers against ISO 20121 requirements, including the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the French Open tennis tournament.

The sustainability management system is a specific management mechanism and approach through which the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ formulates sustainability policies, implements sustainability measures, achieves sustainability objectives and incorporates sustainability into the whole lifecycle of the tournament.

The ISO 20121 achievement has allowed organisers to successfully deliver the target assigned to address the topic of transparency and accountability, which was identified as an important issue during the development of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.