8 June 2010: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the South African Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) have announced an initiative to green the World Cup and assist in reducing carbon emissions.
The initiative includes three major greening projects: renewable energy interventions in six World Cup host cities; an awareness-raising drive on green tourism; and a UNEP programme to offset the carbon emissions of eleven World Cup teams.
Renewable energy interventions include twelve billboards, 60 traffic lights and 78 street lights being switched to solar power, across six cities in South Africa. Carbon offsetting is being sponsored by sports brand Puma for the following teams: Algeria, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Uruguay, Italy and Switzerland. Meanwhile, Chile, England, Republic of Korea and Serbia have also committed to offsetting their emissions. [UNEP Press Release]