Brazil Promotes Green Stadiums for 2014 World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is the largest single sporting event in the world and is being held in Brazil in 2014. Brazil is planning on showcasing a number of green stadiums in preparation for the 2014 World Cup and is using the World Cup's worldwide reach in order to raise awareness about green building and sustainable design.

Arena Fonta Nova; Source: Brazilian Governement Website

Brazil has announced that they are attempting to get their stadiums LEED certified, and FIFA plans on providing certified training courses on sustainable management to the stadium employees in preparation for the 2014 World Cup. Many of the buildings, designed by architects Vicente Mello and Ian McKee, use solar panels on the roofs to generate renewable energy and even feature rain collection systems.

One of the buildings, the Arena Fonta Nova, is applying for LEED certification and will host several games during the World Cup. It was modeled using 30% less steel and features a light-weight metal roof that allows for maximum ventilation to keep the arena cool as well as a water collection system and recycling installations to reduce waste.

It is the goal of FIFA and Brazil to create a sustainable event with advances in waste management, the promotion of recycling, and the use of green buildings. They will strive to minimize the carbon footprint that the World Cup will leave behind, and 2014 may become an extremely important year for green building and design.