Sustainable Strategies for Optimizing the Reduction of GHG Emissions in Qatar's Football Stadiums

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions peaked significantly in the last few decades, leading to environmental issues like global warming and climate change. Soccer stadiums are highly densely populated and consume significant amounts of energy, which results in emitting a large amount of GHG. It is crucial, therefore, to find an efficient way to optimize these emissions. Soccer (football) stadiums are densely populated facilities that consume vast amounts of energy, resulting in considerable GHG emissions; however, identifying effective strategies to optimize and reduce these emissions remains a gap in the literature. This study, describes rational approaches to optimize the reduction of GHG emissions and understand its mechanism in soccer stadiums in Qatar. This is driven by the data collected from global systems (Fédération Internationale de Football Association [FIFA] reports and global sustainability assessment system) and local ones (Qatar Football Association and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, in addition to the local stadiums and clubs in Qatar). Various variables were considered, and also hybrid systems of principal component analysis (PCA) and machine learning (ML) approaches were used for the optimization process in five stadiums: Stadium 974, Al Janoub, Al Bayt, Lusail Stadium, and Education City Stadium. The study employed a PCA-assisted ML framework to identify key sustainability factors and predict the impact of interventions on emissions for these five stadiums. The results demonstrate a successful reduction of GHG emissions by 20%–40% and an improvement in CO₂ offsetting by 40%–100%, besides increasing water conservation to 70%–95% and boosting renewable energy integration from 15% to 100% in Qatar's stadium. These results could be used as an initial platform for promoting carbon footprint reduction in other stadiums worldwide. In summary, the findings offer a practical roadmap for stadium managers and policymakers to achieve significant GHG emission cuts while enhancing sustainability performance.