Fifa president Gianni Infantino, 56, is criticized for his travel during the World Cup.
His flight map has gone viral on social media.
Despite the fact that the World Cup matches are spread over an entire continent, the president of the International Football Association can be seen in the stadiums’ stands of honor a couple of times a day.
Gianni Infantino is a frequent user of his Qatar Airways private plane.
The trip is criticized from several quarters.
According to the French company Greenly, which specializes in carbon dioxide emissions, an hour’s flight in Infantino’s plane gives rise to as many emissions as the average person causes in an entire year.
300–500 tonnes of carbon dioxide
If Infantino continues to fly to matches at the same rate during the World Cup, he will emit 300-500 tons of carbon dioxide, according to Greenly’s estimates.
David Gogishvili, a geographer at the University of Lausanne, tells AFP that Fifa has created a “sustainability paradox”.
– By reusing existing but geographically dispersed NFL stadiums across an entire continent, Fifa has created a model that is structurally dependent on air travel with high emissions, says Gogishvili.
Defended by Fifa
Infantino’s travels are defended by his Football Association.
Fifa announces that the organization’s management chooses between regular flights and private flights “based on what is most efficient and cost-effective”.
Fifa also points out that the organization is responsible for all travel costs.
