UN Environment “walks the talk” on carbon neutrality

Did you know that UN Environment has been carbon neutral since January 2008? In fact, about a third of United Nations agencies are now carbon neutral.

Carbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered or offset.

In 2007, the United Nations principals endorsed the UN Climate Neutral Strategy asking each UN entity to measure, reduce and offset their unavoidable Greenhouse Gas emissions. UN Environment was given the task by the UN Secretary-General to lead the UN system in implementing the strategy. The Sustainable United Nations Initiative was then created to develop methodologies, coordinate inter-agency action and catalyse United Nations-wide efforts to mitigate and offset its climate footprint and practice greener operations.

Carbon dioxide emissions account for 82 percent of global warming, with the rest coming mainly from the much more potent greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide.

How has UN Environment become climate neutral?

UN Environment has achieved climate neutrality largely thanks to an offset programme based on the mitigation and purchase of Certificates of Emission Reduction from projects, mainly in Asia, certified by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. This, coupled with a 35 percent net reduction in its climate footprint has ensured continuous climate neutrality for a decade.

The big-ticket item is flights. Carbon dioxide emissions due to flights taken by UN Environment staff, and people whom it invites to attend conferences and meetings, account for around 80 percent of all UN Environment’s emissions.

“UN Environment’s flight footprint is typical of a small secretariat agency catering to many member states,” says Shoa Ehsani, the Sustainability and Climate Neutral Officer at UN Environment. “It cannot be compared to other UN agencies such as Peacekeeping or the World Food Programme that have much lower per capita flight emissions, but much higher emissions for terrestrial transportation. Our climate footprint is our carbon cost of doing business; efficiencies should help us reduce this while delivering our mandate.”

Offsetting carbon dioxide emissions is a quick win for wealthy companies, organizations and individuals, as it looks to delegate the job of offsetting to countries and companies that can create global mitigation at the lowest cost, allowing others to buy these as credits. But it’s not the only, best, or most sustainable solution to mitigate climate change since it doesn’t change behaviors. Other actions to implement green policies are indispensable.

Original source: UN Environment
Published on 31 January 2019