International Maritime Organization (IMO)
www.imo.org
HQ: London, UK
Number of staff: 331
Number of locations: 8
Key figures
Total emissions: 4,447 tonnes CO2 equivalent
Emissions per staff member: 13.4 tonnes CO2 equivalent
Emissions from air travel: 1,393 tonnes CO2 equivalent
Air travel as a proportion of total emissions: 31%
Air travel per staff member: 4.2 tonnes CO2
Building-related emissions: 127 kg CO2 equivalent per square metre
Secretary-General’s message
“IMO is committed to the protection and preservation of our environment – both marine and atmospheric – and has adopted many pertinent regulations. In 2011, IMO adopted energy efficiency requirements for international shipping, to make mandatory, from 1 January 2013, the Energy Efficiency Design Index for new ships and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan for new and existing ships. To complement these measures, which will deliver significant GHG emission reductions from ships, discussions on market-based mechanisms are also well under way. Considerable progress has been and continues to be made by IMO. The Organization has also taken steps to reduce its own carbon footprint, and will continue to do so in the future.”
Koji Sekimizu
Mission
The mission of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), as a United Nations specialized agency, is to promote safe, secure, environmentally sound, efficient and sustainable shipping through co-operation. This will be accomplished by adopting the highest practicable standards of maritime safety and security, efficiency of navigation and prevention and control of pollution from ships, as well as through consideration of related legal matters and effective implementation of IMO's instruments, with a view to their universal and uniform application.
Experience so far
- General budgetary restriction on any kind of travel; economy class stipulated for all travel within Europe; train used where feasible (not many options from London); further policy changes planned in 2012;
- 60% of working space laid out in open plan;
- Video-conferencing facilities are available and their use is encouraged; tele-conferencing is easy from all telephones and encouraged;
- Travel by public transport encouraged through interest-free travel card loans; showers, bicycle parking and charging sockets for electric cars provided. London Congestion Charge (£10 per day (c. US$15)) provides considerable disincentive for commuting by car;
- Director-level focal point established. Action on specific areas (e.g. building, travel) delegated to appropriate staff members;
- In June 2009 the IMO Council approved several measures that follow the recommendations of UNEP's Green Meeting Guide 2009.
Reduction efforts
- Headquarters building newly refurbished in compliance with the latest UK legislation on energy efficiency: energy-efficient windows, lighting, heating/cooling (all lighting, heating and air-conditioning connected to motion detectors and/or timers). Host Government preparing in-depth sustainability review of building.
- Measures to reduce consumption introduced (lighting and heating/cooling timers set to shortest possible times, escalators switched off whenever possible, motion sensors added for lighting in parking garage (otherwise emergency-level only), exterior lighting reduced.
- More efficient official vehicle.
- Changes in working practices (no all-night meetings) to reduce consumption. Further changes likely in 2012.
- All photocopying/printing double-sided and reduced-toner by default; unnecessary printing/ photocopying strongly discouraged; most printers networked and shared.
Offsetting
Offsetting to be introduced in 2012/2013 biennium. Awaiting confirmation of UN-approved mechanism for offsets.
Next steps
As a regulatory agency for shipping, IMO is working to an established action plan to address greenhouse gas emissions from ships, as described in the message from Secretary-General Sekimizu. In its day-to-day operations, too, IMO is implementing several emission-reduction actions, particularly in important areas like the headquarters building, and will continue to take further action wherever practicable.
