Biodiversity or Soccer?

The much delayed Cop15 meeting, in Montreal, on conserving the planet's biodiversity, is scheduled to make its 'final' agreement on the 18th of December 2022. The final of Qatar's Soccer World cup, will take place on the 19th of December. UN officials are unhappy at the prospect of a majority of Presidents and Prime Ministers (PMs) flocking, as usual, to watch the soccer final (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/05/put-montreal-cop15-biodiversity-summit-before-qatar-football-world-cup-mrema). Not having a majority of Presidents and PMs at the UN meeting, would be a real blow for the Cop15 organisers. The politicians wouldn't be there to make their traditional, often meaningless, 'pledges'. It would clearly confirm the world isn't taking the accelerating loss of biodiversity (and the likely collapse of the essential ecosystems that maintain life?) seriously. It would also illustrates, however, something more fundamental. The UN meeting will, presumably, have something to say about global heating and consequent climate change. The Qatar soccer competition (like all other international sports events) will make a really major addition to 'greenhouse gas' emissions. The vast majority of teams, their support staff and supporters, along with the media, will be fly to the venue (and back to their 'homes' afterwards). It probably makes little difference, in terms of emissions, whether the Presidents and PMs fly to Montreal or Doha. The message, however, will be vastly different.