As the 2026 FIFA World Cup draws closer, Meghna Tare, The University of Texas at Arlington's chief sustainability officer, is playing a key role in advancing sustainability initiatives for the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee.
She recently shared what her work entails and the committee's vision for delivering a sustainable World Cup experience.
What is your role within the committee, and how would you describe a sustainable World Cup experience?
Tare: My goal is to translate FIFA's global sustainability strategy into a tangible reality in North Texas—bridging the gap between global commitments and our local regional needs. Dallas–Fort Worth is one of the fastest-growing regions in the U.S. That growth brings opportunity, but also serious pressure on water, land, energy and infrastructure. Managing this growth sustainably is one of the region's biggest challenges over the next few decades. For a host city, a sustainable mega-event like the World Cup is the ultimate stress test. It's not just about managing the logistics of the tournament; it's about the city's ability to absorb a massive surge in demand—for energy, water and transit—while simultaneously advancing its long-term goals. This role involves focusing on seven core pillars: infrastructure, climate change, air quality, waste, water, biodiversity and education.
A sustainable World Cup experience is one where sustainability is woven into the literal foundation of the event's planning rather than being treated as a side initiative. The mega-event is expected to bring 3.8 million visitors, 5,000 media representatives and $2.1 billion in economic impact to the region. The 2026 World Cup should be remembered as the tipping point where we stopped viewing sustainability as a "nice-to-have" and started viewing it as the advantage for resilience.
What does success look like to achieve sustainability for an event of this scale?
Tare: Success means hosting the most responsible tournament in history and raising the global standard for managing sporting events. This is measured by the successful integration of circular event operations—minimizing waste at the source and maximizing recycling—while delivering a world-class fan experience.
How will these sustainability efforts impact North Texas communities before, during and after the tournament?
Tare: Before the tournament, programs such as North Texas Business Connect and the Responsible Contracting Policy create economic opportunities for small and local businesses to participate in official events. During the tournament, we are focusing on core priorities: resource conservation and management, and community legacy and long-term regional impact. We're prioritizing circular event operations—reducing waste at the source, maximizing recycling and composting. Our goal is to reduce landfill waste while delivering a world-class fan experience. After the tournament, the tangible legacy includes projects like the North Texas Community Cleanup Challenge and tree-planting initiatives designed to combat the "Urban Heat Island" effect and improve long-term air quality.
What innovative strategies or technologies are being explored for this World Cup?
Tare: Monitoring will play a key role, particularly for air quality. Tracking air quality at a World Cup fan festival in Dallas matters for health, safety and managing the environmental impact of massive crowds in an outdoor environment. During an event this large, pollution can temporarily worsen due to increased traffic, delivery trucks and idling vehicles, temporary power sources like generators, and dense crowds concentrated in small areas—all of which can raise harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxides and fine particles. This makes real-time monitoring essential, especially because the DFW region is already in non-attainment status for EPA Air Quality Standards. The Dallas Community Air Management Program addresses this directly—it's a network of 24 non-regulatory air sensors installed throughout Dallas neighborhoods to collect air quality data at the neighborhood scale, with additional monitoring planned at fan festival sites.
In what ways is this World Cup setting a new standard for future global events?
Tare: This World Cup is setting a new standard by shifting the narrative toward "legacy" hosting—leaving the city better than we found it. We aim to move sustainability from a "pillar" to the very foundation of international sports.
How does your work with the World Cup connect to your role at UT Arlington?
Tare: This work is deeply connected to my role at UT Arlington, where the campus serves as an operational "living lab." Faculty research in urban planning and materials science helps bridge the gap between academic innovation and the practical needs of a global event. Lessons from UTA's Campus Master Plan and the Regional Center of Excellence for Education on Sustainable Development are directly applied to help the broader North Texas region meet its resilience goals.
What do you hope fans take away from a more sustainable World Cup experience?
Tare: The understanding that economic growth, community celebration and environmental responsibility can move forward together.
What lasting impact do you hope this event leaves on North Texas?
Tare: Ideally, the lasting impact will be a region left with seamless mobility, a thriving zero-waste culture and enhanced green spaces that provide shade and air quality benefits for decades to come.
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of Dallas-Fort Worth. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation's top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 280,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.
