International Labour Organization (ILO)

www.ilo.org

HQ: Geneva, Switzerland
Focal Point: Carolina Ferreira
Email: [email protected]

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 & 2021 are exceptional years that cannot be used for comparison. Travel restrictions led to a substantial decrease in the ILO’s transport emissions. Conversely, the ILO’s headquarters saw an increase in facilities emissions due to a new ventilation procedure linked to the pandemic. 100% fresh air has to be provided 24hrs a day to ensure the safety of building occupants. This meant increased heating and cooling to ensure the fresh air is at an adequate temperature.
The entity may not report waste data for all its personnel. Please refer to the entity's personnel chart below for more information.
All entity personnel are included in the entity's greenhouse gas emission inventory.

DIRECTOR-GENERAL'S MESSAGE

"It is essential that we achieve a just transition. A just transition means greening the economy in ways that are fair, inclusive, and leave no-one behind." 

Gilbert F. Houngbo, ILO Director-General 

MISSION

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is devoted to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights, pursuing its founding mission that social justice is essential to universal and lasting peace. 

The only tripartite U.N. agency, the ILO brings together governments, employers and workers representatives of 187 member States, to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men. 

Today, the ILO's Decent Work agenda helps advance the economic and working conditions that give all workers, employers and governments a stake in lasting peace, prosperity and progress.

ALIGNMENT WITH THE STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM, 2020 - 2030

The Environmental Sustainability Committee of the ILO has agreed on an Environmental Sustainability Action Plan for 2022-23 aligning its objectives and commitments to the Strategy for Sustainability Management in the UN System 2020-2030. The Action Plan encompasses the 5 environmental impact areas and 6 management functions of the UN Strategy and includes quantified emission reduction targets.

More information can be found on previous action plans in the ILO Environmental Sustainability Action Plans 2018-21 Report and on current activities on the ILO website. 

EMISSIONS REDUCTION

The ILO is strongly committed to enhancing environmental sustainability and reducing carbon emissions. The ILO Environmental Sustainability Policy, signed by the ILO Director-General in 2016, is an important milestone in this direction as it sets the goal of continuing to measure, reduce and report on greenhouse gas emissions, improving waste management and reducing water consumption.

The implementation of the policy is overseen by the Environmental Sustainability Committee and initiatives to achieve environmental improvements are driven by the Environmental Sustainability Action Plan.  This includes specific targets for emission reductions from both air travel and facilities. 

A notable emission reduction project is the second phase of the renovation works of ILO headquarters, which started in 2022.  The first phase of the renovation (office floors) was concluded in 2019, year of the Centenary of the organization. This included improved insulation, highly efficient glazing, ventilation units with high-performance heat recovery system and many other improvements to reduce energy consumption.  A highly performing building management system was also installed, which allows for close monitoring of energy consumption.  This has allowed for further energy saving measures to be implemented.

EMS AND REDUCTION EFFORTS

The ILO set up its Environmental Management System in 2016, to enable a systematic, coordinated and integrated approach to achieving the objectives of its Environmental Sustainability Policy.  The EMS is overseen by the Environmental Sustainability Committee.  Every biennium, the Committee agrees an Action Plan which includes GHG emission reduction targets, as well as many other environmental targets & objectives.  The Committee meets biannually to review progress. 

Each year, as part of the Greening the Blue Report on Environmental Governance, each participating UN entity’s progress on the development of an Environmental Management System (EMS) is evaluated according to the UN system’s EMS criteria (these criteria are available on the Methodology webpage). Upon this evaluation the entity is then rated Exceeds, Meets, Approaches, or No response. For the 2022 reporting year, ILO’s progress on the EMS is rated as: Approaches.

ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL SAFEGUARDS AND STANDARDS IN POLICIES, PROJECTS AND PROGRAMMES

The ILO Environmental Sustainability Committee decided to formulate an Environmental & Social Sustainability Framework (ESSF) for the ILO.  A task team was established and formulated a workplan, which has been approved by the Committee and in is in early stages of implementation.  Activites already undertaken include:

  • Development & piloting of a draft Environmental & Social risk screening checklist, drawing on the UN Model Approach;
  • Drafting of a guidance note for project design;
  • A survey to identify activities with risk of negative impact related to the UN Model Approach 8 thematic areas;
  • A report with recommendations for adaptation of the UN Common Approach in the ESSF.

For the 2022 reporting year, ILO’s status of implementing environmental and social safeguards and standards in their policies, projects and programmes is: In progress.

ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING FOR PERSONNEL

From August 2022, the ILO has made the full Greening the Blue tutorial available to all staff on our internal HR platform and has been promoting its uptake. 

For the 2022 reporting year, ILO’s status on providing training on environmental sustainability is Yes, but it is voluntary.

ENVIRONMENTAL INVENTORY APPROACH

The annual inventory exercise covers headquarters and 49 field offices.  Less than 20% of proxy data was used.  Where estimations were used, they were either based on a previous year’s data or using proxy data from the Sustainable UN team. 

OFFSETTING

In 2021, the ILO emitted a total of 5,572 tonnes of CO2 equivalent from its headquarters and 48 field offices. 100% of these were offset with CERs purchased from UNFCCC’s Adaptation Fund.

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Improved waste management practices are a key element in our efforts to improve environmental sustainability. 

In the headquarters in Geneva, a centralized waste management system was implemented with the purpose of increasing the recycling of major waste streams. Waste recycling centres with bins for organic, paper, glass, aluminium, PET and batteries were placed in strategic areas on each floor and replaced individual waste bins. The strategy was accompanied by campaigns to sensitize and engage staff to reduce, reuse and recycle waste. This successful experience is now being replicated in other ILO buildings worldwide. 

Ten ILO field offices have participated in the initiative to develop and implement effective waste management with a view to reduce, reuse and recycle waste. The initiative built capacity among staff in the field and supported the development of improved waste management plans. 

In addition, the current Environmental Sustainability Action plan focusses on waste reduction initiatives, such as paperless processes & meetings or the removal of single-use items in catering.

WATER AND WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT

Reducing water consumption and ensuring appropriate wastewater disposal is a priority in ILO premises, in particular in water-scarce locations. We monitor and report water consumption in ILO-owned premises and actively explore means to use water more efficiently.

The renovated ILO headquarters building has new water-saving features in toilets and kitchens. Some ILO external offices in water-scarce locations have plans to harvest rainwater for irrigation and ponds.

OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES

In addition to greenhouse gases, waste and water, the ILO Environmental Sustainability Action Plans successfully improved environmental performance in other areas outlined below.

PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABLE PRINTING PRODUCTION AND REDUCTION IN PAPER USE:

  • More performant printers with reduced environmental impacts were installed in the print shop at the ILO headquarters;
  • The implementation of performance work plans resulted in the reduction of paper waste in the print shop;
  • The use of official electronic correspondence increased.

PROMOTION OF ECOMOBILITY:

  • Air compressors for bikes and additional bike racks were installed
  • Charging stations for electric cars installed in 2019
  • A Bike to Work organized in 2017, 2019 and 2022

PROCUREMENT

Measures are in place to further implement sustainable procurement practices in the ILO. The ILO actively participates in UN joint efforts to promote sustainable procurement.

STAFF ENGAGEMENT, CAPACITY BUILDING AND AWARENESS RAISING

  • An ILO Green Week was organized in 2019 and 2021
  • Frequent communication through internal channels to engage & inform staff about ILO greening efforts

NEXT STEPS

The ILO Environmental Sustainability Committee meets on a regular basis to review the Action Plan for 2022-23 and ensure continuous improvement.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

ILO Environmental Sustainability Action Plans 2018-21 – Narrative Report

ILO Strategic frameworks in the area of environmental sustainability and climate change website

The UN Climate Action for Jobs Initiative https://www.climateaction4jobs.org