World Food Programme (WFP)

www.wfp.org
HQ: Rome, Italy
Focal Point: Andy Cole
Email: [email protected]
Internal Sustainability Team: 11 personnel

The entity may not report waste data for all its personnel. Please refer to the entity's personnel chart below for more information.
The above water data reported represents 334 WFP sites.
The entity may not report waste data for all its personnel. Please refer to the entity's personnel chart below for more information

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE

“Right now, our world is facing an environmental crisis, fueled by climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. At WFP, we’re working hard to improve the environmental sustainability of our operations, promoting the efficient use of natural resources, exploring ways to decarbonize our activities, and ensuring that we use water wisely and dispose of waste responsibly. It’s going to take all of us to reverse the damage being done to our world. If we do, we will ensure our actions today lead to a better tomorrow for ourselves and our planet.” 
Cindy McCain, Executive Director

MISSION

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. 

In 2022, WFP assisted 160 million people, across over 120 countries and territories worldwide. 

FIELD OFFICES

1,511 premises worldwide (including HQ)

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

The WFP Environmental and Social Sustainability Framework is designed to avoid and limit any potential negative impacts that WFP activities may have on the local environments that the communities we assist rely on. The framework is applicable to all programmes and support operations and comprises: a set of environmental and social standards; environmental and social safeguarding tools for programme activities; and an Environmental Management System. 

This Framework, along with the commitments outlined in the UN Strategy for Sustainability Management, act as the basis for updating and ongoing development of WFP’s own organisational targets in the agreed environmental impact areas and management functions. 

EMISSIONS REDUCTION

WFP has been reporting its global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the UN Common Boundary since 2008 and been engaged in waste and water reporting since 2017. 

In 2022 WFP reported 108,015 tCO2e for the UN common boundary, representing a 28% increase from 2021. This is largely due to increased activity levels after the operational restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in previous years. WFP continues to focus on reducing absolute emissions wherever possible from facilities, vehicle fleets and commercial air travel, against a backdrop of year-on-year increases in the number and scale of emergency humanitarian response operations. In addition to the UN common boundary, WFP also voluntarily reports on emissions from its humanitarian air operations. 

Moving forward, WFP is building an accounting and reporting system for its Scope 3 (indirect) emissions not already included in the UN common boundary, prioritising the most important, impactful areas with respect to its operations, as part of a phased approach. Through this approach, WFP aims to improve the breadth and accuracy of coverage for this reporting over time, with respect to the categories and methodology outlined by the GHG Protocol framework. 

EMS AND REDUCTION EFFORTS

In October 2023, WFP is implementing environmental management systems (EMS) in 53 country operations and scale up efforts continue.   

WFP's EMS implementation is complemented by an energy efficiency programme to support decarbonization efforts. The programme partly covers upfront investments in energy efficiency projects and solar PV systems through an internal carbon pricing mechanism on light vehicles and commercial air travel. A dedicated decarbonization fund has also been established to support this work. 

Environmental guidelines, checklists, action plans and communication materials in the key areas of energy, waste, water & wastewater, sustainable procurement, and staff awareness reinforce sustainability efforts. 

Recent environmental improvement measures include: 

  • Installation of renewable energy systems in field locations. 

  • Switching to energy-efficient air conditioning units in offices. 

  • Progressive upgrades to generator housings to minimize risk from fuel and oil spills. 

  • Use of passive cooling at offices through shading structures and tree planting. 

  • Inclusion of air travel emissions reduction requirements in WFP’s travel policy. 

  • Staff training and awareness on environment to foster behavioural change: In-person trainings are conducted during the launch of environmental management systems, and all-staff events are held to mark World Environment Day, Earth Day and other significant dates. 

  • The inclusion of environmental sustainability as a responsibility in WFP’s senior management job profiles.

For the 2022 reporting year, WFP's progress on EMS is rated as: Approaches.

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

WFP’s Environmental and Social Standards are a set of minimum requirements and expectations that need to be respected in all operations and programme activities. The standards are aligned with relevant corporate policies on climate change, environment, gender, protection etc.   

The Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) for programme activities are a set of risk management tools to ensure the requirements of the standards are met throughout the programme cycle.  

Along with EMS, the standards and safeguards are key components of WFP’s Environmental and Social Sustainability Framework. 

For the 2022 reporting year, WFP's status of implementing environmental and social safeguards and standards in their policies, projects and programmes is: Yes.

ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING FOR PERSONNEL

Environmental training courses are available and encouraged for all WFP personnel covering various topics including Environmental Management Systems; environmental and social safeguards; greenhouse gas accounting; waste, and water management and reporting; biodiversity conservation; as well as general information on environmentally responsible behaviour, including the Greening the Blue Tutorial. WFP additionally conducts environmental trainings during EMS implementation in field locations focused on increasing staff awareness and developing an understanding of sustainable operations management. 

For the 2022 reporting year, WFP's status on providing training on environmental sustainability is: Yes, but it is voluntary.

ENVIRONMENTAL INVENTORY APPROACH

WFP measures and reports GHG emissions from all its global operations, according to the ‘Operational Control’ approach, as defined in the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard. Additionally, WFP reports emissions from its aviation operations, as well as information on waste management and water use across facilities. 

Where energy consumption data is unavailable, for example where premises are donated by a government or utilities are included within a gross lease, area-based proxies are used, however the overall percentage of proxy use is low. 

OFFSETTING

Since 2014, WFP has purchased Adaptation Fund carbon credits through UNFCCC to offset its emissions within the UN common boundary: global emissions from WFP vehicles, generators, refrigerants, purchased electricity and steam, passenger air travel and public transport. 

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Waste management reporting continues to improve with the ongoing scale up of EMS at WFP. Around 50% of country operations reported on their waste management practices and/or data in 2022. Some good practice examples include: 

  • WFP Burkina Faso partnered with a local NGO, which transformed 240,000 used polypropylene food bags into rope. 

  • In Kenya, WFP recycled more than 1,300 plastic pallets and 130 tons of crushed oil tins into reusable products. 

  • WFP Niger responsibly disposed of more than 1,200 kg of electronic waste. 

  • Improved waste separation in offices and warehouses globally is enabling increased recycling rates and more reuse options. 

WATER AND WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT

WFP collects data on water use and wastewater disposal. 67% of WFP country operations provided information for 2022. 

  • WFP Jordan replanted green areas with indigenous drought-resistant plants; and adopted water-saving compressed air sprayers for vehicle-washing. 

  • In Egypt, WFP installed sensor taps in office bathrooms, achieving significant water savings. 

  • WFP Cameroon installed water meters to monitor and control water consumption. 

  • All offices implementing EMS are improving their water and wastewater management systems with the goal of more efficient water management. 

NEXT STEPS

A global scale up of EMS across WFP country operations will be ongoing in the coming years, building on existing efforts to avoid and manage identified environmental risks from WFP support operations. 

ADDITIONAL LINKS

WFP Environmental Policy