HOUSTON – Houston leaders provided a detailed update on the city’s sustainability efforts tied to the 2026 World Cup during a two-hour presentation at City Hall.
Elizabeth Carlson, chair of the Sustainability Sub-Committee for the FIFA World Cup Houston 2026 Host Committee, led the presentation. She said the plan began in 2023 after FIFA requested a detailed environmental strategy.
EN ESPANOL: Líderes de Houston detallan el plan de sustentabilidad para la Copa Mundial
Volunteers and technical experts spent two years creating execution plans for projects now moving into implementation.
“Houston is a center of industry. We want to showcase the best of who we are and our leadership on the global stage,” Carlson said.
Carlson explained the World Cup does not bring major funding for environmental projects. Instead, its value lies in uniting partners and engaging residents who may not normally participate in resilience or sustainability work.
The planning involves multiple sectors, including government, health agencies, hospitality groups, local businesses, environmental organizations, teachers, universities, and youth groups.
One of the largest projects is the Green Corridor, linking Downtown, Midtown, the Museum District, the Columbia Tap Trail, Brays Bayou, and NRG Park.
The corridor highlights shaded walkways, rail stations, art displays, green spaces, and demonstration sites showcasing plants, native grasses, pollinator gardens, and innovative startups that support heat and storm mitigation.
“What if we took that loop and told stories about resilience and innovation,” Carlson said.
Volunteers assessed METRO stops along the corridor, noting a mix of shade structures, art, cleanliness, and consistent waste bins. Tree planting will begin next week, along with agreements to ensure long-term maintenance.
Air quality was a central focus. Carlson emphasized that children cannot safely play or participate in outdoor sports without clean air.
“You cannot play outside as a child, you cannot be an athlete, if you do not have clean air,” she said.
The committee plans to measure air conditions before, during, and after the World Cup, placing new monitors in areas like Third Ward and EaDo.
Air quality risk has been added to the Office of Emergency Management’s risk matrix.
Carlson highlighted a regional air summit held in September that brought together agencies, universities, medical experts, and environmental groups. The event will continue annually.
Bayou cleanup events will continue through 2026 with partners such as FLASH, Bayou Partnership, and other environmental groups.
Carlson noted that trash from streets flows into storm drains, then into bayous and Galveston Bay.
A recent cleanup collected more than 1,100 pounds of trash in two hours, with results logged in the Texas Litter Database.
“Any time a Styrofoam cup flows into the street, it goes to the drainage and then into the bayou,” Carlson said.
Restaurants, hotels, bars, and coffee shops now have access to a sustainability toolkit listing actions they can take before the World Cup.
Steps include switching takeout containers, reducing single-use plastics, planting trees, supporting pollinator gardens, and donating coffee grounds to local parks.
“If restaurants switch out their takeout containers or switch to reusable materials, that directly reduces waste in our bayous,” Carlson said.
Hotels have already begun submitting entries. The Texas Restaurant Association and the Hotel and Lodging Association are helping distribute the program.
The School of Sustainability program launches in January. Students across the region will complete small STEM-based projects created with nonprofit partners and teachers.
The program includes options tied to recycling, air quality, heat mitigation, and habitat support.
“We want every individual, business, and school to have the opportunity to take action,” Carlson said.
More than 420 partners are involved, including universities, environmental organizations, management districts, hospitality groups, airlines, business associations, and neighborhood groups.
The plan is volunteer-driven with limited financial support from the host committee and donors. Some micro-grants may support school projects or small environmental programs.
Council members asked about public safety planning, small business programs, and trafficking prevention. Carlson said those efforts are handled by separate committees and will be shared publicly when ready.
Members also asked how far the sustainability work extends. Carlson said the school program and hospitality toolkit cover the entire Houston-Galveston Area Council region, not only Downtown and EaDo.
Next steps include launching tree campaigns, pollinator garden sites, updated Green Corridor maps, and a student art program in the coming weeks.
City departments offered support as the implementation phase continues ahead of the 2026 World Cup.