UPU International Bureau achieves climate neutral status

Recognizing that our operations have an impact on the environment, the UPU regularly measures and takes action to reduce the carbon footprint of its secretariat, the International Bureau.

The 2016 environmental inventory, performed in collaboration with Sustainable United Nations (SUN), shows that direct greenhouse gas emissions from the International Bureau have decreased by 10% since 2014. In addition, the UPU has chosen to offset all emissions, earning the International Bureau climate neutral status for 2016.

These positive results are a reflection of the UPU's commitment to sustainability and its efforts to implement greener approaches to managing our activities, resources and facilities.

In 2016, the UPU generated a total of 983 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂eq) as a direct result of International Bureau activities. Of that amount, 29% originated from our facilities, 69% were related to air travel, and 2% to other forms of transport. Emissions per staff member total 3.78 tCO₂eq, compared with the UN average of 7.18 tCO₂eq.

UPU climate data has been published today in the UN-wide sustainability report: Greening the Blue Report 2017. The report details the greenhouse gas emissions produced in 2016 by the UN system as a whole, as well as each UN entity individually.

The UN has committed to becoming climate neutral across all entities by 2020. The data published in the Greening the Blue Report reveals that the 67 UN entities that reported their greenhouse gas emissions col­lectively emitted a total of 1.90 million tCO₂eq in 2016, and 37% of these emissions were offset.

Earlier this year, in a speech on climate action, UN Secretary General António Guterres highlighted the importance of working together to combat climate change: "All of us – governments, businesses, consumers – will have to make changes. More than that, we will have to be the change. This may not be easy at times. But for the sake of today's and future generations, it is the path we must pursue."

SUN project coordinator, Isabella Marras, has commended the progress made by entities in the 10 years since the UN Chief Executive Board approved the UN's Climate Neutral Strategy in 2007: "The leadership and dedication shown by UN staff at all levels has been inspiring. We've seen efforts to measure and reduce our environmental impacts across all agencies, in all countries, via numerous activities, and I'm confident that the UN is on track to meet the goal of being climate neutral, through emissions reductions and offsetting, by 2020."

Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve overall environmental performance have continued across the UN throughout 2017, with several entities adopting a systematic approach to reducing their envi­ronmental footprint. For more information on the methodology used, please visit Greening the Blue.