
Qatar has said the upcoming soccer World Cup will be the first to be ‘carbon-neutral.' In theory, that means the monthlong tournament hosted by the small Gulf Arab nation will have a trivial effect on the climate. It's a bold claim for a country that spent the past 12 years building seven new stadiums, hotels, high-rises and roads for the event.
Key to Qatar's plan are carbon offsets intended to cancel out the greenhouse gases emitted before and during the tournament.