UNHCR Environmental Footprint Analysis

Sep 23, 2019 | UN High Commissioner for Refugees
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The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is the Agency mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees and forcibly displaced, with the ultimate goal to help find durable solutions that will allow them to rebuild their lives in dignity. UNHCR’s safeguards the rights and well-being of refugees and other forcibly displaced to ensure that all people can exercise their right to seek asylum and safe refuge in another state.

At the October 2007 meeting of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB), the Executive Heads of UN agencies, funds and programmes committed to move their respective organizations towards climate neutrality. In particular, they agreed to:

i. Estimate the greenhouse gas emissions of UN system organizations consistent with accepted international standards;

ii. Undertake efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions;

iii. Analyze the cost implications and explore budgetary modalities of purchasing carbon offsets to eventually reach climate neutrality.

Further to ongoing calls by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for UN System organisations to “reach full compliance with the UN Climate Neutral Strategy”, in April 2015 the CEB approved a System-wide road map for UN climate neutrality by 2020 inclusive of common and individual efforts to improve the measurement and reduction of GHG emissions.

In December 2018, the UN Chief Executive Board, via the HLCM secretariat, directed UN Environment and the Environment Management Group, which UNHCR is an active member of, to design a UN Corporate Environmental Sustainably Strategy 2020-2030. The strategy will contain ambitious UN-wide commitments on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and will be adopted at the Secretary General’s 2019 Climate Action Summit on 23 September 2019.

UNHCR has been monitoring the carbon footprint of its Geneva Headquarters operation (facilities and travel) since 2009. UNHCR has also started offsetting its Geneva Headquarters emission since 2015 by purchasing Certified Emission Reduction Credits. For 2017 inventory, UNHCR has included additional offices in Budapest, Copenhagen, Dar es Salaam and Kakuma.
In 2019 UNHCR submitted data for UN-wide 2018 Environmental Inventory for over 100 offices from over 60 countries. The proposed assignment will assist UNHCR in analyzing its global environmental footprint, as well as environmental footprints of individual offices. It will also help to identify ways to improve measurement/calculation of its global environment footprint and recognize perspective areas for environmental interventions (GHG emissions reduction, energy management, water management, waste management, etc.). The assignment will support UNHCRs commitments towards becoming climate neutral, and will support UNHCR’s work to achieve its obligations under the UN Climate Neutral Strategy. REQUIREMENTS

Specific tasks

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Environment Coordinator and in coordination with the Environment Officer in UNHCR Geneva HQ, the Consultant will conduct the following tasks:

I. Review the 2019 UNHCR Environmental Inventory in the UN Environmental Inventory Software and in MS Teams and develop a detailed analysis of performance of participating UNHCR offices in the following areas: GHG emissions from various sources, waste generation, water consumption. This will include liaison with UNHCR country operations for clarifying issues and receiving additional information, if needed. This will also include comparison of UNHCR footprint with other UN organizations of similar size, such as WFP and IOM and interpreting results. Contribute to development of 1 pager infographics for each country participating in 2018 inventory and 1 global.

II. Provide recommendations on improving quality of environmental monitoring in UNHCR.

III. Provide recommendations for potential improvements across UNHCR and for specific operations, including:

1. Review best practices in private sector, NGOs and specifically in UN Agencies on GHG emissions reductions, sustainable waste management, water consumption management, energy management and provide tailored recommendation for UNHCR. Recommendations should include at least the following: suggested technology description, example(s) of application, cost estimate, expected reductions in emissions, water consumption, waste generation, and any expected co-benefits. Identify and collect information on good practices within UNHCR (produce 1 page write ups on each including photographs).
2. In consultation with UNHCR Geneva HQ and country operations, identify several UNHCR operations where GHG emissions reductions will present ‘low hanging fruit’. Develop at least 10 project concepts with operations for implementation of these improvements (short to medium term interventions).
3. In consultation with UNHCR Geneva HQ and country operations, identify several UNHCR operations where improved waste, energy and water management will present ‘low hanging fruit’. Develop at least 2+2 project concepts with operations for implementation of these improvements.
4. Assess pros and contras of monitoring additional to UN-wide inventory parameters, such as paper consumption and provide recommendations.
5. Design simple system of environmental footprint assessment for country operations (one example is ICRC). Suggest visualization of such assessment, for example as in the Figure on the right.
6. Propose innovative solutions for staff awareness and education campaign (at least 5 ideas written in a form of 1-pager concepts, template to be agreed with UNHCR).
7. Develop Terms of Reference for elaboration and outline for UNHCR-wide GHG emissions reduction, waste, energy and water management plan.

IV. Draft reports with recommendations.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS

1. Report analysing UNHCR performance in 2019 in terms of GHG emissions, waste generation and water consumption and proposing measures for improvements across organization and for individual offices.
2. Write-up of best practices in UNHCR.
3. 14 concepts for UNHCR operations as described in specific tasks #2 and #3.
4. Proposal for environmental footprint assessment and its visualization for country operations.
5. Solutions for staff awareness initiatives as described in specific task #6.
6. TORs and outline for UNHCR-wide GHG emissions reduction, waste, energy and water management plan.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Postgraduate education in environmental sciences, natural resource management, energy and/or related fields with at least 5 years of experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge in the field of climate change mitigation, including knowledge of best practices in GHG emission reductions, particularly in energy and transport sectors.
• Experience and expertise in analyzing environmental footprint of large organizations and conducting environmental assessments. Familiarity with GHG Protocol.
• Experience in data collection, analysis and presentation.
• Proven communication skills.
• Proven track record in producing clear high quality structured and technically sound reports is very relevant.
• Understanding of UN system and humanitarian context would be an asset.
• Proficiency English, Knowledge of French is an asset.

The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.

To apply send your P11 or CV and motivation letter to hqenviro@unhcr.org