2050Today Members
HDA – Health Diplomacy Alliance
Signatory institution of the 2050Today Charter
Contribution to climate action
The Health Diplomacy Alliance is dedicated to promoting global health through diplomatic channels, emphasizing collaboration and positioning health as pivotal for both global stability and economic prosperity.
The Health Diplomacy Alliance is strongly committed to climate action and aims to reduce its carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, alongside with the other institutions of the international Geneva.
Thematic actions
Biodiversity
Collaboration with local organizations and initiatives focused on biodiversity conservation is encouraged to foster partnerships and leverage collective efforts in safeguarding ecosystems and wildlife, specially related to those in Lac Léman.
Education and awareness programs are implemented to inform staff members about the importance of biodiversity conservation and to encourage individual actions that contribute to preserving biodiversity, both locally and globally.
Energy
Emphasizing energy efficiency in both co-working and remote work environments, the Health Diplomacy Alliance promotes responsible energy use for staff working in hybrid setups.
For remote workers, guidance is provided on energy-saving measures at home, including the use of energy-efficient appliances and adjusting heating or cooling settings for optimal energy conservation.
Staff members are encouraged to schedule virtual meetings when possible to reduce the need for travel and associated energy consumption.
The Health Diplomacy Alliance supports a flexible approach to work, allowing staff to choose between co-working space and remote work based on individual preferences and operational requirements, thereby minimizing overall energy usage.
Food
In line with sustainable practices, the Health Diplomacy Alliance prioritizes the procurement of locally sourced, organic, and sustainable food for meetings and events.
Staff members are encouraged to choose locally sourced, organic, and sustainable food options for both individual consumption and catering at meetings and events.
Business lunches are preferably hosted at establishments that prioritize the use of local Geneva products and goods, promoting sustainability and supporting the local economy.
The Health Diplomacy Alliance collaborates with venues that prioritize sustainability, emphasizing the use of reusable items to minimize single-use plastic and packaging waste.
In addition to organic and locally sourced food options, vegan and vegetarian menus are increasingly offered at events to accommodate diverse dietary preferences and reduce the environmental footprint of food consumption.
Mobility
Emphasizing sustainable transportation, the Health Diplomacy Alliance encourages staff to prioritize walking or cycling for short-distance meetings, including trains, for international meetings whenever feasible.
Carpooling is promoted for occasions where multiple staff members need to attend the same event or meeting.
Sustainable IT
Staff members are encouraged to enable power-saving features on computers and electronic devices to reduce energy consumption.
Unplugging devices when not in use is promoted to further minimize energy wastage.
Waste management
In efforts to reduce single-use plastic, the Health Diplomacy Alliance has replaced plastic-bottled water with tap water provided in reusable glass bottles.
Printing is encouraged only when necessary, with double-sided printing and recycled paper.
The Health Diplomacy Alliance has transitioned to smaller, more economical copy machines to minimize resource consumption.
Efforts have been made to minimize paper usage by transitioning to electronic documentation where feasible.
Footprint and emissions by scope
2050Today’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions measurement methodology follows the GHG Protocol. The Protocol provides standards and guidance for organizations to measure and manage climate-warming emissions. It was created in 1998 through a partnership between the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
According to the GHG Protocol, the distribution of emissions is done by scopes:
Scope 1 represents direct emissions linked to the consumption of fossil fuels.
Scope 2 represents indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating and cooling consumed by the reporting company.
Scope 3 includes all other indirect emissions that occur in a company’s value chain (i.e. purchased good or services, business travel, employee commuting).
The 2050Today carbon footprint takes into account the reported emissions generated by the activities of the institution over one year and is divided by categories:
Energy and water
It takes into account the amount of the consumed electricity produced and purchased by the institution. The energy consumed to heat and/or cool the institution’s building area and the consumed water are included as well.
Mobility
It takes into consideration business travels and commuting (on a survey basis).
Food
The CO2 impact of food includes the catering of the institution and individual consumption (on a survey basis) during working hours.
Purchased goods
The perimeter of purchased goods is set to a list of new office equipment, new mobility equipment (vehicles) and construction materials.
Waste
The perimeter of the waste inventory is set to waste production from facilities and internal operations of the institution
It has to be noted that the collected data of the 2050Today members resulting in each carbon footprint are not yet fully standardized and might not be entirely complete. Data collection is being progressively harmonized and improved. Therefore, direct comparisons between tCO2 / employee among institutions – be it in general or per sector – are not yet possible nor relevant.
To ensure the reliability, the accuracy and a recurrent updating of the carbon footprint assessment, 2050Today is advised by an international Carbon Footprint Scientific Committee.
