Durban City is alive with activity in preparation for the 2010 World Cup.  It has been reported that Durban is making the most progress out of all host cities in terms of building and development.  Durban is in the midst of unleashing its potential and what better time to embrace and develop this potential than now.  Ushaka world has increased the attractiveness of the city by a considerable margin.  Not only has the infrastructure improved over the last 5 years but arty, quirky restaurants are sprouting up all over the show, creating a buzz and atmosphere unique to Durban alone.  The Zulu heritage will shine through for any visitor. 

Ethekwini to manage carbon emissions during 2010 Cup

The eThekwini Municipality has undertaken a 2010 Greening programme to manage carbon footprinting for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, the municipality said in a statement on Monday.

Deputy head of the eTekhwini environmental management department, Debra Roberts, said the municipality had committed itself to a carbon-neutral world cup.

She said a carbon footprinting study had started and that five major carbon emission areas had been identified including stadium construction materials, stadium energy consumption (taking into account energy savings measures already included in the design), in-country transport to eThekwini, local transport within eThekwini, and energy consumption in hotels.

She said the same method was used to calculate the carbon footprint for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

“The activity singly associated with the highest carbon emissions is the construction of the new Moses Mabhida Stadium, at 102,803 tonnes of CO2 and comprising some 68 percent of the Durban 2010 total carbon footprint,” said Roberts.

The construction of a new stadium was, however, necessary to ensure that Durban had FIFA-compliant facilities for hosting the 2010 World Cup, she said.

“However, the stadium is constructed to be a multi-functional and flexible venue, which will also ensure that Durban is equipped to host other world-class sporting events in the future.”

A business plan for the new stadium estimates that it would host 46 events a year. There would also be ongoing use of shops and offices in the complex, with an economic life of about 30 years.

“Given that eight matches will be played in Durban during the 2010 World Cup, the emissions from stadium construction that can be directly attributed to the 2010 World Cup are 596 tonnes of CO2,” she said.

“Inter-city transport to the event is the highest contributor at 41,295 tonnes of CO2.”

The total carbon footprint for eThekwini during the world cup is estimated at 47,472. A carbon management strategy was being developed to address the impact on global climate.

Roberts said this would ensure that Durban had its own fully “carbon-neutral stadium”, not just for 2010, but for all future events. – Sapa.