Calculating the carbon footprint of holding a sports competition at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium
Subject Areas : Environment, economy, engineering, urban planning and sustainable development
Mohadeseh Kalooti
1
,
Ali Fahiminejad
2
,
Bagher Morsal
3
,
Hooman Bahmanpour
4
1 - Department of Physical Education, Sha.C., Islamic Azad University, Shahrood, Iran
2 - Department of Physical Education, Sha.C., Islamic Azad University, Shahrood, Iran
3 - Department of Physical Education, Sha.C., Islamic Azad University, Shahrood, Iran
4 - Department of HSE, Sha.C., Islamic Azad University, Shahrood, Iran
Keywords: Carbon footprint, Carbon dioxide, Greenhouse gas, Sports competitions, Azadi Stadium,
Abstract :
The purpose of this research is to estimate the carbon footprint by calculating the amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) produced and emitted as a greenhouse gas during sports competitions. This research is a simulation-based study with an applied purpose. Data were obtained from library resources, websites, and relevant reference centers. The method of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2014) was used to calculate the average CO₂ emission according to fuel consumption per unit of fuel for different vehicles. The environmental damage caused by CO₂ emissions was then estimated, and the total cost of all traffic-related emissions for one competition day was converted into monetary value. The equations were adapted from the Defra Guide (2016). Assuming 7,000 passenger cars, 300 buses, and 50 minibuses and vans, the total CO₂ emitted during a single football match day at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium was 53,210 kg. The largest portion originated from on-site rides (22,400 kg). For 26,605 kg of CO₂ emitted along the travel routes, the calculated monetary value of carbon emissions by the end of 2025 and 2039 – based on the World Bank formula – was 2,957.92 and 5,250.80 $, respectively. By implementing management and engineering solutions and observing environmental considerations – such as turning off unnecessary lights, using exhaust filters, designing parking spaces efficiently, and minimizing parking duration – it is possible to prevent the production and emission of a substantial portion of pollutants.
[1] Bahmanpour, H., Naghibi, S.H., Abdi, H. 2020, Environmental risk of carbon monoxide pollutant in Tehran outdoor sports spaces and recreation sites. Geographical Researches, 35(2), 155. (in Persian)
[2] Walmsley, M.R.W., Walmsley, T.G., Atkins, M.J., Kamp, P.J.J., Neale, J.R., Chand, A., 2015, Carbon emissions pinch analysis for emissions reductions in the New Zealand transport sector through to 2050. Energy, 92, 569.
[3] Rovira, J., Domingo, J.L., Schuhmacher, M., 2020, Air quality, health impacts and burden of disease due to air pol¬lution (PM10, PM2.5, NO2 and O3): Application of AirQ+ model to the Camp de Tarragona County (Catalonia, Spain). Science of the Total Environment. 703, 135538.
[4] Ahmadzadeh, H., Kaymanesh, M.R., Makani Bonab, S., Ghanizadeh, I., 2023, Investigating the effects of optimal use of public transportation in order to reduce traffic and air pollution in Tabriz city. Journal of Applied Researches in Geographical Sciences, 23(68), 167. (in Persian)
[5] Ehrman, J.K., 2010, ACSM's resource manual for guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. 6th Edition, Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, pp. 4-73.
[6] Tabrizian, K., Shahriari, Z., Rezaee, R., Jahantigh, H., Bagheri, G., Tsarouhas, K., Docea, A.O., Tsatsakis, A., Hashemzaei, M., 2019, Cardioprotective effects of insulin on carbon monoxide-induced toxicity in male rats. Human and Experimental Toxicology, 38(1), 148.
[7] Ferdowsi, F., Maleki, H.R., Niroomand, S., 2019, Refueling problem of alternative fuel vehicles under intuitionistic fuzzy refueling waiting times: a fuzzy approach. Iranian Journal of Fuzzy Systems, 16(3), 47.
[8] Tavassoli, M., Afshari, A., Arsene, A.L., Mégarbane, B., Dumanov, J., Paoliello, M.M.B., Tsatsakis, A., Carvalho, F., Hashemzaei, M., Karimi, G., Rezaee, R., 2019, Toxicological profile of Amanita virosa - A narrative review. Toxicology Reports, 6, 143.
[9] TAQCC, 2018, Teharan air quality control Company. Report of Tehran, Tehran Municipality. Nashr-e-Shahr. pp. 265. (Available online: https://www.iqair.com/iran/tehran)
[10] Buga, A.M., Docea, A.O., Albu, C., Malin, R.D., Branisteanu, D.E., Ianosi, G., Ianosi, S.L., Iordache, A., Calina, D., 2019, Molecular and cellular stratagem of brain metastases associated with melanoma. Oncology letters, 17 4170.
[11] NIOSH, 2014, National institute for occupational safety and health. (Available online: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/index.html)
[12] Can, G., Sayili, U., Sayman, Ö.A., Kuyumcu, Ö.F., Yilmaz, D., Esen, E., Yurtseven, E., Erginöz, E., 2019, Mapping of carbon monoxide related death risk in Turkey: a ten-year analysis based on news agency records, BMC Public Health 19 9, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-6342-4
[13] Wang, Y., Yang, L., Han, S., Li, C., Ramachandra, T.V., 2017, Urban CO2 emissions in Xi’an and Bangalore by commuters: Implications for controlling urban transportation carbon dioxide emissions in developing countries. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 22, 993.
[14] Zahabi, S.A.H., Miranda-Moreno, L., Patterson, Z., Barla, P., Harding, C., 2012, Transportation greenhouse gas emissions and its relationship with urban form, transit accessibility and emerging green technologies: A Montreal case study. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 54, 966.
[15] Kellison, T.B, McCullough, B.P., 2016, A forecast for the mainstreaming of environmental sustainability. Sport & Entertainment Review, 2(1), 11.
[16] McCullough, B.P., Pfahl, M.E., Nguyen, S.N., 2016, The green waves of environmental sustainability in sport. Sport in Society: Cultures, Commerce, Media, Politics, 19, 1040.
[17] Holzer, K., 2012, Respiratory symptoms during exercise. In: Brukner & Khan’s clinical sports medicine: The medicine of exercise. Brukner, P., & Khan, K., (Editors), McGraw-Hill, pp.1049.
[18] Tabatabayee, S., Robati, M., Azizi, Z., 2022, Determination of spatial pattern of urban green spread (Case study: District 5 of Tehran municipality). Journal of Applied Researches in Geographical Sciences, 22(67), 171. (in Persian)
[19] Sadigh, A., Fataei, E., Arzanloo, M., Imani, A.A., 2021, Bacteria bioaerosol in the indoor air of educational microenvironments: Measuring exposures and assessing health effects. Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering, 19, 1635.
[20] Defra (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs), 2016, Greenhouse gas reporting-Conversion factors. UK Government: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. (Available online: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/envizi-esg-suite?topic=factors-uk-defra-factor-set)
[21] IPCC, 2014, Climate change: Mitigation of climate change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. (Available online: https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_wg3_ar5_full.pdf)
[22] USEPA, 2004, An examination of EPA risk assessment principles and practices. EPA/100/B-04/001. Washington (DC): USA. (Available online: http://www.epa.gov/OSA/pdfs/ratf-final.pdf)
[23] Kalooti, M., Fahiminejad, A., Morsal, B., Bahmanpour, H., 2025, Modeling Of carbon monoxide pollutant emissions caused by sports events in cities under multiple scenarios (Case study: Azadi Stadium in Tehran). Research in Sport Management and Motor Behavior, 15 (29), 204. (in Persian)
[24] WB, 2016, The cost of air pollution; strengthening the economic case for action, World Bank Reports. (Available online: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/781521473177013155/pdf/108141-revised-cost-of-pollutionwebcorrectedfile.pdf)
[25] IPCC, 2025, Special report on climate change and cities. (Available online: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/special-report-on-climate-change-and-cities)
[26] Ritchie, H., 2020, Cars, planes, trains: Where do CO₂ emissions from transport come from?. Published online at OurWorldinData.org. (Available online: https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions-from-transport#article-citation)
[27] Amin-Tahmasbi, H., Razavinasab, S.J., 2019, Analysis of the effective variables of the development of use of compressed natural gas (CNG) instead of gas in Iran's road transport system using the system dynamics model. Journal of Transportation Research. Article in press. (Available online: www.trijournal.ir/article_96253.html?lang=en.) (in Persian)
[28] IEA, 2020, Energy technology perspectives. IEA, Paris. (Available online: https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-technology-perspectives-2020)
[29] IPCC, 2022, Climate change 2022: Mitigation of climate change. Contribution of working group III to the sixth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Shukla, P.R., Skea, J., Slade, R., Fradera, R., Pathak, M., Al Khourdajie, A., Belkacemi, M., van Diemen, R., Hasija, A., Lisboa, G., Luz, S., Malley, J., McCollum, D., Some, S., Vyas, P., (Editors), Cambridge University Press.
[30] Esmailian, M., Shahmoradi, M., Karimzadeh, K., 2022, Specifying the allowed remained bottom thickness after milling in CNG steel cylinders by FEM analysis and experimentation. Journal of Simulation and Analysis of Novel Technologies in Mechanical Engineering, 14(1), 67.
[31] Motesaddi, S., Hashempour, Y., Nowrouz, P., 2017, Characterizing of air pollution in Tehran: Comparison of two air quality indices. Civil Engineering Journal, 3(9), 749.
