Qatar has promoted the 2022 World Cup as the first carbon-neutral World Cup in the tournament's history, stating that any inevitable greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the World Cup, half of which will come from flights bringing in fans, will be offset.

The credibility of these claims was recently challenged by a report from NGO Carbon Market Watch, but a recent announcement by Qatar Airways saying it will operate 168 shuttle flights to bring in up to 17,600 spectators every day from neighbouring countries has come under fire from civil society groups. Qatar Airways reportly plans to partner with regional carriers to compensate for the limited capacity of the Gulf state to provide sufficient affordable accommodation for all.

According to the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organisation, shuttle flights between Doha and Dubai alone are expected to emit over 7000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in a month.

Greenpeace MENA programme director said this announcement undermines the carbon-neutral pledge and that alternative affordable accommodation options would make more sense

Qatar Airways defended this announcement saying their airplanes are low-emission compared to other commercial flights. World Cup organizers said the emissions from these flights are already included in the overall emissions to be offset to uphold their carbon-neutral pledge.