By Era Environnement
During the African Cup of Nations 2023 (CAN 2023) held from January 13, 2024 to February 11, 2024 in Côte d’Ivoire, several actions for environmental protection were observed. Two years after the World Cup, NGOs, but also companies wanted to lead by example. Despite a particular context. The main partner of the African Cup of Nations is the French oil giant Total Energies. This long time sponsor of the competition was criticized by climate activists.
A justified postponement
Scheduled for June-July 2023, the CAN was postponed for climatic reasons to January-February 2024. It ended this Sunday after several weeks marked by hot weather, with several cool breaks. Highlights: the fight against plastic waste. Despite several initiatives, many plastic waste littered the alleys during and after the matches, according to observers. During the CAN, a player stood out, William Trust Ekong, best player of the CAN, captain of the Nigeria team, with his cleats designed from organic waste, including corn and sugar cane.
The coastal area affecting Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, has been affected by flooding in recent years. In 2020, the World Bank published a technical report on the effects of climate change in five countries in West Africa, Benin, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo. Côte d’Ivoire won the competition. CAN 2024 will take place in Morocco in one year in 2025.
