World Health Organization (WHO)

www.who.int

HQ: Geneva, Switzerland
Number of staff: 2,443
Number of locations: 147

Key figures

Total emissions: 30,319 tonnes CO2 equivalent
Emissions per staff member: 12.4 tonnes CO2 equivalent
Emissions from air travel: 26,846 tonnes CO2 equivalent
Air travel as a proportion of total emissions: 89%
Air travel per staff member: 11.0 tonnes CO2
Building-related emissions: 31 kg CO2 equivalent per square metre

“Climate change will affect, in profoundly adverse ways, some of the most fundamental determinants of health: food, air, water. In the face of this challenge, WHO is committed to do everything it can to ensure all is done to protect human health from climate change.”

Margaret Chan, Executive Director, World Health Organization (WHO)

Director General's Message

“Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. Climate change will affect, in profoundly adverse ways, some of the most fundamental determinants of health: food, air, water. In the face of this challenge, WHO is committed to do everything it can to ensure all is done to protect human health from climate change”

Margaret Chan

Mission

The World Health Organization (WHO) is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.

Experience so far

WHO has undertaken a Carbon Footprint Inventory and specific recommendations on carbon mitigations and reduction strategies are under discussion.

Reduction efforts

1. WHO is currently exploring a possible policy (including targets) for reducing air travel

2. Renovations work's studies, which are estimated to reduce by up to 80% of WHO HQ current level of CO2 with respect to power generation and electricity consumption, are under way.

Offsetting

Under discussion.

Next steps

WHO is setting up a Green Task Force team that will convert into actions the recommendations formulated during the WHO Carbon Footprint Assessment. WHO will translate the actions to be taken into work plans in the next biennium.