Reducing
consumption is the best way to minimize
the impact of our work on the environment.
As a result of collective efforts by all
staff members, the United Nations Office
at Geneva (UNOG) has cut consumption of
electricity by 16%, of water by 41% and
of heating fuel by 19% over the past six
years.
In addition to limiting
the negative environmental effects, this
represents an estimated cost avoidance of
over CHF 4.3 million, or almost USD 3.8
million, for the Organization.
The Secretary-General’s
pledge to make the United Nations’ in-house
practices more climate-neutral has given
further impetus to our green considerations.
Initiatives shared by colleagues have provided
additional ideas and inspiration. In return,
UNOG would like to outline some of our projects
and progress.
In the summer period,
all hot sanitary water in the old Secretariat
building of the Palais des Nations is heated
by solar power generated by 60 sq m. of
recently-installed solar panels. Air conditioning
in meeting rooms is on only when the room
is in use and the temperature is kept at
an average of 24°C (74ºF). Security
colleagues are instructed to switch off
lights, photocopiers and other appliances
when doing rounds at night.
United Nations Office
at Geneva
New waste collection and recycling centres
have been established. Two types of bins
have been installed in all offices to collect
recyclable and non-recyclable waste separately.
We use organic waste from the parks and
gardens on the grounds to produce green
fertilizers, and sheep are used for cutting
the grass.
The greening perspective
is also integrated into our procurement
practices, and UNOG participates in the
joint United Nations initiative to establish
baseline standards for sustainable procurement.
3,288 earphones in meeting rooms have been
replaced with mercury-free devices.
80% of the paper that
UNOG purchases is made from “Sustainable
Managed Forests”, and we print all documents
on chlorine-free and Forest Stewardship
Council-accredited paper. To reduce paper
consumption, staff members are encouraged
to print double-sided and use electronic
means for internal and external communications.
Several offices have established “green
task forces” to review office procedures
with a view to further limiting paper use.
Recently, UNOG signed
a contract with the Services Industriels
de Genève (SIG), the main electricity,
gas and water provider in Geneva, regarding
two projects in compliance with the United
Nations’ environmental policy:
The first is the “Geneva-Lake-Nations”
(GLN) Project, through which the Palais
des Nations will be provided with water
from the Geneva Lake for cooling purposes.
Once implemented, UNOG can retire traditional
cooling towers and will make use of 100%
renewable energy (Geneva Lake water).
The second is the Natural
Gas Project, under which the heating oil
used in the main boiler house will be replaced
with natural gas. This will significantly
reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2),
as well as nitrogen oxide, dioxide and sulphur
dioxide. An additional benefit will be that
vehicles will no longer be needed to deliver
the oil.
UNOG will soon replace
its old used water evacuation system with
a new network to separate used and rain
water in compliance with local legislation.
There are plans to install more light motion
sensors, water timers and double-flush toilet
systems to reduce electricity and water
consumption further. It is also envisaged
to create an additional 140 parking spaces
for bicycles and 32 for motorcycles, as
well as 6 extra showers, to provide further
incentives to leave the car at home.
We look forward to more ideas from other
parts of the system to take these efforts
forward.
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Washington DC's first
green roof and labyrinth opens
Washington DC’s first
green roof and labyrinth opened on 2 October
at the top of an eight-story office building
one block northwest of Union Station.
Photos by:
American Psychological Association
The green roof – at 10 G Street, NE on top
of a building owned by the American Psychological
Association (APA) – will be open to the
public as a peaceful respite from the busy
city and nearby Capitol Hill.
“This collaborative
effort is part of our overall mission to
create open spaces that heal the body, mind,
and spirit,” said Mary Wyatt, executive
director of TKF Foundation, the lead funder
for the project. “We are gratified to be
a leader in providing this innovative green
space to all those who wish to have a place
for reflection during the course of a work
day.”
The roof was formally opened on 2 October
during a book-release party for Open Spaces,
Sacred Places, co- authored by TKF Foundation
President Tom Stoner and Carolyn Rapp. The
book chronicles the evolution of 12 sites
from among the more than 120 spaces that
the foundation has helped renew through
funding and support.
Small plants called
sedum and the labyrinth—an ancient tool
for meditation that has in recent years
seen a resurgence in popularity – cover
3,600 square feet of the building’s roof.
The $170,000 project received additional
funding from the APA, the Chesapeake Bay
Foundation (CBF), and the World Resources
Institute (WRI).
“The green roof fits
with our mission to protect the Earth and
improve people’s lives,”
said Nancy Kiefer, facility director at
WRI, whose offices occupy the top
The labyrinth surrounded
by sedum plants
two floors in the building. “Our staff was
so excited about the possibility of a green
roof that many of them made personal contributions
to the project.”
The idea sprouted a
few years ago when CBF approached APA about
applying for a grant to construct a green
roof on one of its buildings. The building
at 10 G Street was a perfect candidate since
WRI is such a major tenant.
Dr. Norman B. Anderson,
CEO of APA, said, “In addition to helping
APA become a more green organization, this
green roof project is consistent with our
ongoing commitment to being a ‘healthy company,’
both physically and psychologically. I am
personally a big fan of walking a labyrinth
as a mindfulness meditation tool.”
William Baker , president
and CEO of CBF, added, “Green roofs like
this can significantly protect storm sewers
from being overloaded during heavy storms.
That, in turn, protects local rivers and
the Chesapeake Bay from becoming more polluted
with the runoff.”
+ More
Architect rendering
of the green roof by Farrand & English
More than 55,000 square feet of green roofs
were installed in Washington D.C. in 2007,
helping place it seventh in rankings by
Greenroofs.com for cities with the most
green-roof square footage in the country.
Last year, 30 percent more green roofs were
installed in North America representing
a 5 percent increase over the 25 percent
growth of 2006.
Green roofs provide a host of psychological
and financial benefits, including cleaner
air, cooler cities, reduced energy consumption,
cleaner rivers and streams, and more beautiful
urban landscapes.
