Greening the BlueCreating a more sustainable United Nations

An Introduction

Summary

• Background, Mandate and Governance• The UN Climate Neutral Strategy

– Measure– Reduce– Offset

• Achievements to date• [Your organization]• Get involved!

Introduction

Climate Change & the UN

Mandate

The UN response…

“…explore ways of making the United Nations more climate friendly and environmentally sustainable, and to develop a climate-neutral approach to its premises and operations.”

• More & more UN organizations are challenged by their governing bodies & member states

• climate change impacts almost all mandates of UN

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

• On World Environment Day (5 June 2007) the UN Secretary-General pledged to:

Mandate

• MDG 7: ‘Ensuring Environmental Sustainability’

• Requested by the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon

• Chief Executive Board approved, in October 2007, the UN Climate Neutral Strategy

“The UN’s ability to walk the talk on climate change is defining our credibility and, thereby, our ability to deliver our mandates.”

Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon

Governance

Governance• Environment Management Group established in 2000 in

response to a General Assembly resolution (53/242, paragraph 5), with the purpose of:

“enhancing United Nations system-wide inter-agency coordination related to specific issues in the field of environment and human settlements”

• Issue Management Group established to deliver the Climate Neutral Strategy. The IMG included representatives from most UN organizations and they agreed on a system-wide approach to measuring greenhouse gas emissions, the results of which were published in Moving Towards a Climate Neutral UN in December 2009.

In 2010 the IMG mandate was expanded to include wider sustainability issues and procurement. The IMG on Sustainability Management first met

in February 2010, and is supported day-to-day by the SUN (Sustainable United Nations) facility.

Who’s What in the UN

General Assembly

CEB

Secretary General

Interagency Networks

EMGHLCMHLCP

UN Agencies

Six GA Committees

IMG on Sustainability Management

Climate Neutral Strategy

The UN Climate Neutrality StrategyStatement of the Chief Executives Board:

“We, the Heads of the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, hereby commit ourselves to moving our respective organizations towards climate neutrality in our headquarters and United Nations centres for our facility operations and travel.”

• Estimate greenhouse gas emissions & undertake efforts to reduce them

• Analyze the cost implications of purchasing carbon offsets

1: Calculate Emissions

• The challenge– Measuring and reporting the

greenhouse gas emissions of 49 UN agencies for 2008 using the common UN calculator

• The results– All agencies submitted

greenhouse gas inventories– They were published in the

climate conference at Copenhagen in December 2009

2: Reducing Emissions

• The challenge– Reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of all UN

organizations

• The results– 15 UN agencies have developed, or are in the process of

developing, emissions reductions strategies– In most agencies these reflect the links between climate

change and their mandate (e.g. WFP, UNIFEM and UNDP)– This year all agencies have to develop emissions

reductions strategies – Action has been taken in many areas

3: Offsetting• The Challenge

– Developing a UN-wide approach to offsetting emissions• From the UNFCCC/CDM market• Choosing projects with environmental and social benefits• Getting Member States mandate!

• The result– A common approach has been developed for the

procurement of carbon offsets– An agent will be selected through a tendering process– Offsets will be from the CDM market– Project will have environmental and social benefits

Calculating Emissions

Emissions Quiz Time!!!

Q. The UN’s total Greenhouse Gas emissions (CO2 eq.) for 2008 were:a) 0.2 million tonnesb) 1.1 million tonnesc) 1.7 million tonnes

And the answer is:c) 1.7 million tonnes,

similar to the emissions of Mauritania

Emissions Quiz Time!!!

Q. The UN’s per capita emissions for 2008 were: a) 5.1 tonnes CO2 eq.b) 8.4 tonnes CO2 eq. c) 10.3 tonnes CO2 eq.

And the answer is b) 8.4 tonnes, similar to those of an Austrian or Libyan

(*Mauritania per capita emissions = 0.5 tonnes CO2 eq.)

Total GHG Emissions (2008)

769,108 tCO2eq

972,305 tonnes CO2eq

TOTAL:1,741,413 Tonnes CO2eq.

Total GHG Emissions (2008)

Total GHG Emissions (2008)

UNDP: 56,230 tonnes

UNEP: 11,754 tonnes

UNESCO: 24,165 tonnes

UNIDO: 10,266 tonnes

Emissions Reductions

How are we reducing our impacts?• Travel (reduction, replacement (VTC), efficiency,

monitoring, reporting and staff incentives…)

• Facilities (new projects – UN houses, refurbishment…)

• Procurement and processes (sustainable procurement – pending GA approval, e-admin, budgeting, ICT, distance work, green meetings)

• Staff engagement

Reductions: Travel

• The Challenge– The major source of greenhouse gas emissions for all UN

agencies (between 50 and 90%)

• The Response– 31 agencies have implemented measures to reduce

emissions from travel through reduction, replacement, efficiency, monitoring, reporting and staff incentives

– SUN is working with IATN (Inter-Agency Travel Network) and JIU to reflect climate neutral issues in harmonization of travel rules

Reductions: Facilities

• The challenge– The second largest source of emissions (about

40%) from 530 locations around the world

Reductions: Facilities

• The response– UN HQ in New York is being

renovated to achieve over 40% reduction in emissions

– One UN buildings will showcase best practice in sustainability

– Guidelines produced to assist in the purchase, design and retrofitting of the UN’s buildings

– SUN is working with the inter-agency network of facilities managers (INFM) develop minimum sustainability criteria for all UN facilities

Reductions: Procurement

• The challenge– In 2008 the UN purchased goods and

services worth US $13.6 billion – similar to the GDPs of Botswana and Senegal

– Sustainability wasn’t always factored into the decision making process

• The response– Toolkits, training and policies have

been made available– Formal links made with the HLCM

Procurement Network

Reductions: Staff Engagement

• The challenge– The UN employs over 200,000 staff, including 60,000

peacekeepers

• The response– Greening the Blue provides

information to UN staff– Staff are encouraged to be more

sustainable in the workplace– Many organisations have

established ‘green groups’ to assist with this

– An increasing number of leaders are embedding sustainability in their management practices

Challenges ahead

• Mandates, leadership and political support

• Ensuring financial and administrative systems work to support, not limit, greening efforts

• Staff engagement

Next steps for the UN

• 2nd generation of greenhouse gas inventories

• 1st generation of emission reduction plans

• Agreeing an approach to offsetting• Clarifying our approach to sustainability

management

Case Studies

[Select appropriate case studies and images from www.greeningtheblue.org/casestudies]

[Your organization]

What’s happened so far…• Our 2008 greenhouse gas inventory • DONE

2008 UNHQ Greenhouse Gas Inventory

15,51816%

3,0963%

4860%

36,93537%

43,74444%

Energy Consumption at UNHQ(Electricity, Steam, Natural Gas)

Energy Consumption at LeasedSpace (Electricity, Steam)

Refrigerants

Official Transport

Official Air Travel

105,000 tonnes CO2 eq.

[Add your inventory graph here]

Our Emissions: Total

[Add your inventory data and those of similar organizations here]

[Your organization] Emissions Reductions Plan

Get Involved

• Down to Earth• Less is More• Switch it Off• Bon Appetit• Green Champions

DOWN TO EARTH

You don’t have to invent the EcoGlideatron3000 to cut your carbon emissions. You can just take the train instead of flying.

LESS IS MORE

You don’t have to go this far to reduce your use of natural resources. Simply put your publications online, instead of printing them out.

SWITCH IT OFF

You can’t work without electricity. But you can use less by turning everything off at the end of the day.

BON APPETIT

You don’t have to completely change your diet. Just eating less meat can make a big difference to the environment.

GREEN CHAMPIONS

You don’t have to become the office eco-bore. Instead, you can do your bit by becoming a Green Champion.

For More Info:

• Greening the UN www.greeningtheblue.org

• EMG www.unemg.org• SUN www.unep.fr/scp/sun• Watch the movie HOME on

YouTube http://www.youtube.com/homeproject

Thank you!

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Margaret Mead