UNEP DTIE SCP Branch: Sustainable UN

Publications

General Information l Buildings l Resources for UN Offices l More...

General Information

About the Sustainable United Nations (SUN) Facility

This brochure provides an overview of the Sustainable United Nations (SUN), a UNEP initiative administered by the SCP branch. SUN aims to support UN and other organisations to achieve climate neutrality and overall sustainability and will contribute to addressing UNEP's Climate Strategy. Download the pdf.

Buildings

Buildings and Climate Change: Summary for Decision Makers

A Summary for Decision Makers, the latest UNEP-SBCI report, highlights the potential of more efficient buildings in addressing climate change. The report argues that a failure to encourage more energy-efficient and low-carbon buildings will lock countries into the disadvantages of poor performing buildings for decades, and states that governments will fail to meet emission reduction targets if they exclude the building sector. This sector has the highest potential of all to deliver greenhouse gas emissions cuts, at the least cost, using available and mature technologies! Download the pdf.

Buildings and Climate Change: Status, Challenges and Opportunities

The building sector contributes up to 40% of greenhouse gas emissions, mostly from energy use during the life time of buildings. Identifying opportunities to reduce these emissions has become a priority in the global effort to reduce climate change. "Buildings and Climate Change" provides an overview of current knowledge about greenhouse gas emissions from different stages and functions of buildings, and presents opportunities for their minimisation. Download the pdf.

This report is a product of the UNEP Sustainable Buildings and Construction Initiative - SBCI.

Resources for UN Offices

Green Office Guide

The Green Office Guide provides simple and effortless guidance for a more responsible behaviour in the office. It is a volunteering initiative of the staff of the UNEP DTIE office in Paris but it aspired to be of inspiration to other locations and situations. The “leitmotiv” of this guide is “Walk the talk” because we wanted to underline the need for the UN to practice what it preaches. The guide is designed to be read on a computer screen, not for print.

Part I : Towards a responsible office behaviour
Part II : Paris office surroundings
Part III : Posters to be used in support.of the guide

Green Meeting Guide

This guide is designed to assist organisers and hosts of small- to medium-sized meetings in including green considerations as early as possible in the preparation of the event. It describes the issues to consider in the planning phase and provides a very simple and concrete check list to pick and choose concrete actions to carry out. Download the pdf.

Saving for a Bright Future: A Manual for Efficient Lighting Procurementin UN agencies

The manual provides convincing and factual arguments tailored to UN offices on cost saving options through more efficient lighting. It provides advice and guidance from the most ambitious to the simple and affordable measures as well as case studies to illustrate the benefits of investing in green lighting options. Download the pdf.

Initial Assessment of Sustainability Performance and Opportunities

This questionnaire provides SUN with general information about the organization. The questionnaire is required for an initial assessment of the potential for greenhouse gas emission reduction across the entire breadth of activities and physical assets of the organization. Download the Word .doc.

Other Resources

UNEP/TNT Toolkit for clean Fleet Strategy Development

The UNEP/TNT Toolkit for clean Fleet Strategy Development is a toolkit meant to help develop a strategy for reducing the environmental impacts of vehicle fleets. It will help you develop your own strategy. More info on the toolkit.

From the UNEP DTIE Publication Database