World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

Logo for World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

https://public.wmo.int/en 
HQ: Geneva, Switzerland
Focal Point: Khaled Bel Melih

Mission

WMO works to facilitate worldwide cooperation in the design and delivery of meteorological services, foster the rapid exchange of meteorological information, advance the standardization of meteorological data, build cooperation between meteorological and hydrological services, encourage research and training in meteorology, and expand the use of meteorology to benefit other sectors such as aviation, shipping, agriculture and water management. 

Field Offices

https://public.wmo.int/en/our-mandate/how-we-do-it/regional-offices

Alignment with the Strategy for Sustainability Management in the United Nations System, 2020-2030

WMO is working on several fronts to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions: 

  • Increased use of hybrid set-up for WMO conferences reduces travel;
  • Replacement of paper by the distribution of electronic documents and publications since 2012; 
  • Collection and recycling of paper, old computers, printer toners and batteries; 
  • A model has been developed to compute the CO2 emissions for international conferences with participants from across the globe. This model is being introduced in practice to enable “minimum emissions” criteria for selecting meeting venues; 
  • Development and widespread use of tele- and video-conferencing in order to limit travel to the strict minimum; 
  • Better power management for data centres and computers, consolidation of servers, improved user behaviour in sharing documents and information, better use of online collaboration tools, use of workflow and processes for paperless workspace, reduce duplication of data and increase engagement with Green-IT certified suppliers;
  • Use of teleworking reduces the commuting of WMO staff; 
  • Development of a system for the electronic circulation and archiving of documents, with the aim of zero paper use, thereby avoiding printing and mailing; 
  • A centralized selective sorting waste system has been set up on each floor of the WMO building and the individual office’s bins have been removed; 
  • Connection of the WMO building to the Genilac project, which uses geothermal technology for cooling and heating by deploying water drawn from Lake Geneva.
  • Upgrade of an integrated building management system and replacement of the offices lighting systems with LEDs.
  • Use of photovoltaic panels on the roof of the building.

Emission Reduction

WMO greenhouse gas emissions have drastically decreased from 2019 (5,124 tons) to 2021 (668 tons), mainly due to the COVID effect, the restrictions of travels, virtual and hybrid meetings, and teleworking. WMO environmental policy will encourage the continuous effort to improve the working conditions in order to reduce its future greenhouse gas emissions.

EMS and Reduction Efforts

The implementation of an EMS at WMO is in progress. The first step was achieved by defining the scope and the environmental policy.

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 2023 reporting year, WMO’s progress on the EMS is rated as: Does not meet.

Environmental Training for Personnel

For the 2023 reporting year, WMO’s status on providing training on environmental sustainability is: No.

Environmental Inventory Approach

WMO environmental inventory takes into consideration its Headquarters in Geneva, that gather more than 90 % of the overall staff. Parts of the building that are leased to other entities are not included in the inventory.

Offsetting

The WMO has offset its entire greenhouse gas emissions since 2014 through certified emission reductions from the UNFCCC platform and by funding environmental projects in different continents. 

Waste Management

Solid wastes are systematically sorted, weighed and recycled by a local contractor who provides all the figures that are included in the inventory. Reuse of particular items such as retired IT equipment or furniture is always favoured when possible.

Next Steps

The WMO approach is consistent with the CEB statement “Moving towards a climate-neutral United Nations” and the “Strategy for a climate-neutral United Nations” developed by the EMG. WMO has been mandated by its Executive Council to develop a climate-friendly operations concept that includes a greenhouse gas emissions inventory, baseline analysis, and targets and measures for reduction of carbon emissions. The aim is to achieve the appropriate balance between targets and associated resource requirements so that that priority services to Members are not compromised.  

WMO continues to pursue efforts to modernize its business practices to reduce carbon emissions deriving from its operations, particularly through increased use of tele- and videoconferencing and consolidating meetings by shortening their duration, to the extent possible within the current programme and budget. 

The WMO also raises awareness, promotes and advocates for climate-friendly practices among the staff, National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, meteorological and hydrological communities, and the general public. 

WMO Members and Staff Association collaborate on the Organization’s greening, with staff being the source of many of the initiatives. In the future WMO will further improve the energy efficiency of its building, continue advocating for green procurement, introducing green office/workshop practices, and optimizing travel. 

WMO and the environment