Rationale

The UN Secretary-General has given high priority to reducing the UN organization’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In October 2007, he launched the “Greening of the UN” initiative which also includes moving the UN System towards climate neutrality. This ambitious project is supported by the UN System’s Environmental Management Group (EMG). EMG has developed a “Strategy for a climate-neutral UN” which aims to make all UN agencies, funds and programmes climate-neutral. The strategy includes an overview of the basic steps that need to be taken by all UN agencies, including the preparation of GHG emissions inventories and the move towards climate neutrality in their facility operations and travel.

Objectives and principles

The UN/ISDR secretariat aims to minimize its environmental impacts and to integrate sustainable environmental actions into daily work routines to achieve climate neutrality by the end of 2009.

The objectives of a climate-neutral UN/ISDR secretariat are twofold: (i) to reduce the environmental footprint of the secretariat through adoption of sustainable management practices for its operations in its Geneva headquarters, in all the regional offices, meetings and events organized by the secretartiat; and (ii) to “lead by example” so as to raise awareness among similar organizations, governments, and UN/ISDR secretariat’s partners.

Greenhouse gas inventory

An inventory of UN/ISDR secretariat’s greenhouse gas emissions is being undertaken to identify the main GHG emitting activities. This will then lead to a number of other activities to reduce the secretariat's greenhouse gas emissions and guide its carbon offsetting mechanisms. The first GHG inventory will also provide a baseline for target-setting and measurement of progress. The inventory will, wherever useful, be in line and closely linked with broader UN efforts on greening, including through the EMG.

Current status of greening the UN/ISDR secretariat

The management of the UN/ISDR secretariat adopted in May 2008 an internal policy note on “Greening UN/ISDR, Climate Neutral UN/ISDR - Preliminary Strategy and Action Plan” to improve the secretariat’s environmental performance. An environment task team has been set up, and the recently nominated “green” focal point is in contact with GHG inventory experts. The regional UN/ISDR Asia & the Pacific office in Bangkok is climate-neutral since 2007.

The UN/ISDR secretariat has also started to implement specific preliminary actions to reduce energy consumption by staff including consistent use of recycled paper, double-sided printing/photocopying, and turning off computers, monitors, printers and other office equipment at the end of the day. The secretariat is also increasing the use of its video conferencing facilities in order to reduce travel.

Carbon offsetting policy

Since it will be impossible for the UN/ISDR secretariat to reduce its carbon emissions to zero, the purchase of “offsets” will play an important role. Carbon offsetting is the act of mitigating GHG emissions by purchasing a stake in a project or initiative that removes carbon from the atmosphere. To ensure the efficacy of its offsetting schemes, the secretariat will work with UN-recommended mechanisms. Ideally the offsetting mechanisms will not only focus on mitigating GHG reductions, but will also be consistent with Hyogo Framework for Action goals to reduce risks from natural hazards.

The UN/ISDR secretariat in Bangkok planted 600 trees
to offset their carbon emissions in 2007.