Website: unocha.org
Focal Points: Zeynep Ersahin Asik, Karen Williams-Komlani
Emails: [email protected], [email protected]
Mission
Mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies.
Alignment with the Strategy for Sustainability Management in the United Nations System 2020-2030, Phase I
To align with the Strategy for Sustainability Management in the United Nations System 2020–2030, Phase 1: Environmental Sustainability in the Area of Management, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is in the process of developing an Environmental Management Strategy (EMS), which is currently under internal review.
As part of the EMS, an internal environmental inventory tool was developed to collect data on energy consumption, waste, water, and fleet information. In 2024, OCHA conducted its first environmental inventory, with 39 countries and 98 offices participating. OCHA's total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for 2024 amounted to 13,507 tons of CO2 equivalent (TCO2e). The collected data was used to develop an internal environmental dashboard, which allows for more detailed analysis and empowers OCHA's heads of offices to make informed decisions on how to reduce the organization’s environmental impact and meet its environmental commitments, such as through the use of renewable energy and reducing air pollution.
OCHA also plans to develop formal environmental management training for its employees, along with specific training on the environmental inventory for its environmental focal points. The aim of the training is to equip employees with the knowledge and skills needed to manage and reduce the organization’s environmental impact, with a focus on regulatory compliance, sustainable practices, risk management, and the implementation of environmental management systems.
EMS and Reduction Efforts
For the 2023 reporting year, OCHA’s progress on the EMS is rated as: Approaches.
Environmental Training for Personnel
For the 2023 reporting year, OCHA’s status on providing training on environmental sustainability is: Yes, but it is voluntary.