Score a Green Goal for Singapore too

My letter was published on 8 Jul 06 in the Straits Times Forum.

AS THE 2006 Fifa World Cup comes to an end, we will remember the important goals scored during the world’s biggest sporting event. One particular goal struck me as the best, which is the Green Goal by host Germany.

The Organising Committee led by Franz Beckenbauer introduced Green Goal – the first environmental initiative at the World Cup to minimise environmental impact, raise environmental awareness, and set standards for other major sporting events.

Targets are set for being climate neutral; refuse avoidance and environmentally-friendly recycling; efficient, environment-conscious transportation; energy efficiency and environmentally-friendly generation; and responsible water management.

Initiatives and projects are implemented with the targets in mind. The 12 stadiums used in the World Cup also have eco-friendly designs and features to reduce resource consumption.

More often than not, major sporting events and other big events create a substantial impact on the environment. It would be good to study the possible impact and try to reduce them, as what the Green Goal initiative achieved.

As Singapore hosts major events in the future, it would be beneficial to the environment and our country’s image if we could keep the environment in mind while planning those events.

Let us not only greet the participants with smiles but also show them that we care about the environment.