United Nations Office at Vienna / United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

DIRECTOR-GENERAL’S MESSAGE

“Sustainability needs to guide the way we operate every day. I am very proud that the UN Office at Vienna was the first of the UN headquarters to become climate-neutral, running on 100 per cent renewable energy. We will continue to build and cultivate a sustainable working environment.”

Ghada Fathi Waly, Director-General, UNOV and Executive Director, UNODC

MISSION

UNOV manages services for organizations at the Vienna International Centre and coordinates liaison activities with permanent missions, the host government, and both intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations in Vienna. UNODC contributes to global peace and security, human rights and development by making the world safer from drugs, crime, corruption and terrorism by working for and with Member States to promote justice and the rule of law and build resilient societies. 

FIELD OFFICES

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/field-offices.html 

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

UNOV/UNODC is committed to implementing the "Strategy for Sustainability Management in the United Nations System 2020–2030," ensuring adherence to its foundational principles and objectives. In 2023, temporary capacity has been put in place, marking the initiation of a journey towards developing and instituting an Environmental Management System (EMS) and aligning the operations harmoniously with the outlined environmental and managerial sustainability goals. 

EMISSION REDUCTION 

The Vienna International Centre (VIC) is one of the largest United Nations compounds that obtained the climate neutrality certification. In its commitment to environmental sustainability, UNOV is actively working towards implementation of even more ecological friendly measures and strives to raise climate awareness together with the local community. 

ENERGY EFFICIENCY 

As part of the Vienna International Centre (VIC), UNOV is powered by carbon-neutral electricity from 100% renewable resources. UNOV has introduced or benefits from several building related measures to improve the environmental performance as agreed to with all other Vienna-based organizations. The Building M in the Vienna International Center has been rewarded with the Austrian Eco Label 

DIGITALIZATION AND COMPUTERIZATION OF SERVICES 

UNOV is working towards digital transformation and broad use of new technologies to reduce the use of limited resources and limit produced waste. 

PROMOTION OF ECOTRAVEL 

Continued effort to reduce air travel by staff and non-staff by increasing the use of digital technologies for online and hybrid meetings, conferences, trainings and recruitment processes. 

UNOV, together with other VBOs, encourages staff to commute with public transport, walking or cycling to avoid unnecessary car driving and conserve energy/avoid emissions. 

OTHER INITIATIVES IN THE VIC: 

Three beehives and one insect hotel have been set up at the UNOV.  

Gardening works on the terraces and in the VIC surroundings have been continuously undertaken to preserve green areas. 

Tap water-consumption and use of reusable water bottles as an alternative to bottled water have been promoted. 

Reduction of food-wastage produced by the VIC Cafeteria by joining the “Too Good to Go” initiative. 

EMS AND REDUCTION EFFORT

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, UNOV/UNODC’s progress on the EMS is rated as: Does not meet. 

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

For the 2022 reporting year, UNOV/UNODC’s status of implementing environmental and social safeguards and standards in their policies, projects and programmes is: No, but in progress. 

ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING FOR PERSONNEL

The Greening the Blue Tutorial is made available on Inspira for staff and personnel as a voluntary training. Management encourages all staff and personnel to take the time to review the tutorial and actively participate in the organization's green initiatives. 

For the 2022 reporting year, UNOV/UNODC's status on providing training on environmental sustainability is: No.

ENVIRONMENTAL INVENTORY APPROACH

All efforts are cost-shared and approved among the four main Vienna-based organizations – UNOV/UNODC, UNIDO, IAEA, and CTBTO. 

UNOV reporting covers all areas, from facilities to travel and use of official cars. The inventory reporting covers these main clusters of information with the following data: 

• HQ purchased electricity; renewable sources, stationary combustion, refrigerants and purchased steam;  

• HQ Waste management; water usage; non-air mobility; non-air business travel and energy efficiency measures;  

• Business travel emissions  

UNODC information has been calculated by proxy. 

OFFSETTING

The emissions from UNOV/UNODC will be compensated as a component of the UN Secretariat's emissions offsetting initiative. 

WASTE MANAGEMENT

As a common service BMS (Building Management Service)/UNIDO as buildings managers provides this information and the UNOV/UNODC share in the compound. 

BMS as a common service manages buildings and emphasizes sustainable waste management at the VIC Headquarters, ensuring compliance with environmental standards through a structured approach. The waste management policy, endorsed at various management levels, encompasses minimized printing, double-sided paper use, reduced plastic consumption, and adoption of biodegradable packaging in canteen. VIC enforces waste separation and follows ÖNORM 2100 standards, collaborating with certified waste disposal companies. The waste management approach focuses on Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle, utilizing surveillance throughout the process and maintaining compliance with waste legislation. The overarching goal is to mitigate environmental impact through integrated policies, technology, and sustainable actions. 

WATER AND WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT 

As a common service BMS (Building Management Service)/UNIDO as buildings managers provides this information and the UNOV/UNODC share in the compound. 

VIC has adopted a systematic approach to water and wastewater management, emphasizing efficiency, conservation, and sustainability. Initiatives include upgrading water pumps and pipes, modernizing warm water distribution systems, and implementing state-of-the-art technology like sensor-driven taps and waterless urinals. These strategies, coupled with regular maintenance and awareness-raising among occupants, have notably improved water management by reducing wastage, optimizing usage, and enhancing water quality and hygiene across the facilities. 

OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES

UNOV as part of its arrangements with LH group/Star Alliance has purchased sustainable aviation fuel with a resulting CO2 avoidance of some 27 tons.

NEXT STEPS

UNOV/UNODC is committed to the implementation of the "Strategy for Sustainability Management in the United Nations System 2020–2030." In adherence to this, the development and implementation of an Environmental Management System (EMS) are being strategically pursued, ensuring our operational endeavours are rooted in principles of sustainability and environmental responsibility. The formulation of precise workplans, pinpointing of priority actions, and the installation of a comprehensive monitoring and reporting framework are currently being facilitated. 

ADDITIONAL LINKS

https://www.umweltzeichen.at/en/tourism/green-locations?cert_number=1094

https://www.greeningtheblue.org/stories/plastic-free-catering-facilities-vienna-international-center

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