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By Samindra Kunti in Sydney
August 15 – Former Socceroo and human rights activist Craig Foster has criticised FIFA and Women’s World Cup organisers for failing to take the lead in the fight against climate change.
The Women’s World Cup has taken co-hosts Australia by storm with bumper crowds and the Matildas vying for a place in the final against England on Wednesday, but amid all the hype and hysteria Foster said that the world federation as well as Football Australia should have used the tournament to take a stand in the fight against climate change.
“It’s sad that at a time when the world needs urgent action more than ever, the world’s biggest sport had an opportunity to say in front of the world, this World Cup is about climate action and we’re calling on every government to act now to save the planet, because, without that, it’s useless arguing about indigenous rights, gender equality, or, you know, whether Qatar are going to reverse their migrant worker rights,” said Foster.
Three years ago, Australia won the hosting rights to the tournament and the then-conservative government underwrote the tournament to the tune of $100 million, but Football Australia and World Cup organisers, with a limited voice in the domestic sporting landscape, never committed to a climate campaign in a country that derives much of its wealth from the mining industry.
“True to form, FIFA are signatories to the UN Sport for Climate Action Framework, which compels them not just to create sustainable events, but actually to advocate for climate action in the Paris Agreement,” said Foster.
“They have not, of course, they have not done that. They don’t want to upset Saudi Arabia and Qatar, who are two of their biggest funders, and funding and purchasing football clubs all around the world.”
Foster’s criticism comes at a time when FIFA president Gianni Infantino faced criticism over a never-ending tour of the Pacific region during the Women’s…
Source link : https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2023/08/15/red-card-wwc2023-climate-messaging-infantino-sets-tone-private-jet-lap-world/
Author : Paul Nicholson
Publish date : 2023-08-15 02:48:05
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