A bespoke strategy
The sustainability strategy for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 is shaped by the key social, economic, human rights and environmental priorities for the current time and geographical context to ensure that it acts as a bespoke strategy with initiatives that drive optimal sustainable outcomes for the tournament in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
| Priority | Actions and measures | References |
| Promote gender equality and equity | Identify key issues affecting women and girls in the host countries and region and develop joint initiatives with key partners to tackle some of these issues. | FIFA Women’s Football Strategy |
| Foster a human rights‐compatible, inclusive, respectful and discrimination-free event | Ensure human rights, diversity and anti-discrimination policies, procedures and training are in place to identify and address human rights negative impacts and structural discrimination that may be exacerbated by event operations in and around stadiums, at the expense of particularly vulnerable and historically marginalised groups. Map impacts and test initiatives, and ensure meaningful engagement and inclusion of First Nations and Māori people in event operations to promote self‐determination and respect for First Nations’ and Māori culture. Map impacts and test initiatives, and ensure meaningful engagement and inclusion of other vulnerable and historically marginalised groups that may be disproportionally impacted by the event, such as gender and sexual minorities, ethnic- and faith-based minorities, disabled people, homeless people, low-income people, children and youth, migrants and other vulnerable stakeholders. Implement measures that allow for freedom of expression amongst fans and players in favour of human rights and anti-discrimination, whilst ensuring the event is not misused for inadequate political campaigning. Celebrate and promote a legacy of diversity and inclusion in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand in areas including First Nations and Māori people and other vulnerable and historically marginalised groups. | FIFA Good Practice Guide on Diversity and Anti‐Discrimination Art. 13 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code FIFA Safeguarding and Anti-Discrimination Code of Conduct FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup Human Rights Risk Assessment |
| Safeguard and protect participants and attendees from harm or abuse | Ensure smooth engagement and collaboration with the local safeguarding stakeholders in the host countries and Host Cities. Ensure that safeguarding policies and procedures to protect the workforce, participants and attendees from harassment, abuse, exploitation and neglect measures meet national and international standards and legal frameworks. Promote safeguarding practices for at-risk children, young people and adults. Offer the workforce and participating national teams safeguarding training. Operate an effective safeguarding reporting and case management system to ensure appropriate responses to all concerns arising during the competition. | FIFA Safeguarding and Anti-Discrimination Code of Conduct FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup Human Rights Risk Assessment |
| Ensure accessible venues for disabled people and people with limited mobility | Ensure an accessible event for disabled people and people with limited mobility across tournament site infrastructure, overlay and services. Promote accessibility solutions through consultation and engagement with expert partners and community organisations to drive enhancements in the physical infrastructure and services across the wider public realm in the Host Cities. | FIFA accessibility requirements and guidelines |
| Develop women’s football in host countries and region | Harness the power of the competition to identify and develop programmes that will drive popularity, participation and awareness of women’s football programmes and competitions in the host countries and confederations. | FIFA Women’s Football Strategy FIFA Forward Programme |
| Protect the health of all participants and attendees | Protect the right of non-smokers to breathe clean air that is not contaminated by carcinogens and other harmful substances in tobacco smoke and e-smoking devices. Ensure that event sites and events are free from advertising, endorsement, sponsorship or sale of tobacco and e-smoking products. | FIFA Event Policy on Tobacco |
| Protect workers’ rights | Develop and enforce a policy and human rights due diligence processes to ensure the respect of the rights of all workers involved in the preparation and staging of the event in accordance with international standards and national legislation. Specific focus should be placed on vulnerable workers, such as low-income/low‐skilled people, informal workers and migrant workers. Enforce the terms of the FIFA Sustainable Sourcing Code and other FIFA human rights-related commitments with respect to workers’ rights in national and international supply chains in accordance with international standards and national legislation, including recent due diligence requirements. | FIFA’s Human Rights Policy FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup Human Rights Risk Assessment |
| Ensure access to remediation | Build on the effective grievance mechanism developed in previous events, through which human rights concerns can be raised and addressed following a human rights-based approach and in accordance with the effectiveness criteria of United Nations Guiding Principle 31. | FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup Human Rights Risk Assessment |
| Reduce climate impact | Estimate the competition’s greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate emissions. Engage in a review of concepts and operations to foster adaptation to climate change impacts and reduction of associated carbon emissions. Create a campaign to raise awareness amongst fans of climate change and its impacts on football, society and the environment, and promote climate action. | FIFA Climate Strategy |
| Minimise waste sent to landfill | Avoid and reduce waste as per the FIFA Sustainable Sourcing Code and all other relevant standards. Establish waste segregation throughout the cycle to ensure effective reuse, recycling and disposal of event-related waste. | FIFA Sustainable Sourcing Code |
| Foster more sustainable buildings | Assist all official stadiums in obtaining sustainable building certification for their operations and maintenance. Promote sustainable building design, construction and operations of event-related venues and sites to mitigate environmental and social impacts and foster local expertise and standards. | FIFA requirement for sustainable building certification |
| Ensure sustainable procurement | Establish and apply a sustainable procurement policy and sourcing code for all procurement, licensing and sponsorship processes across the competition to protect people’s rights and well-being, reduce environmental impact and promote sustainable economic development in supply chains. Enable women-led, First Nations and Māori local and regional businesses to become event suppliers and prioritise local and regional sourcing. | FIFA Sustainable Sourcing Code |
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