2050Today Members
IGC – International Gender Champions
Signatory institution of the 2050Today Charter
The climate crisis is hitting hardest where inequality runs deep, disproportionately impacting women and girls who are too often excluded from decision-making spaces where climate strategies are shaped. Systems change starts with small steps that each of us take to care for each other and our environment. The International Gender Champions Secretariat is proud to join the 2050 Today initiative to become more aware of the environmental impact of our actions, and to make more conscious choices regarding what we purchase, how we travel and operate day to day. We look forward to collaborating more deeply with IGC members and organisations in Geneva to collectively drive action. Gender equality and climate action go hand in hand.
Contribution to climate action
The International Gender Champions (IGC) is deeply committed to advancing gender equality as a cornerstone of effective and inclusive climate action. Strengthening the Climate-Gender Nexus across global policy and practice is one of the IGC’s four strategic objectives since 2022. Through its Climate Impact Group, the IGC mobilises high-level leadership to integrate gender perspectives into climate negotiations, finance, and solutions. This commitment is also embodied in the Geneva Pledge for Gender-Responsive Climate Action, which now brings together over 80 signatories across international organisations, member state missions, and civil society.
As a values-driven network, the IGC is committed to advancing climate action through advocacy, knowledge-sharing and practical action. The IGC Secretariat will take proactive steps towards reducing the climate impact of its operations, with a particular focus on food and waste management.
Thematic actions
Biodiversity
The IGC offices are on the premises of the Geneva Graduate Institute (Maison de la Paix). The Institute has a Community Garden and aims continuing to promote this activity by organising events and workshops to raise awareness within its community and encourage participation in the project.
Energy
As a tenant of the Maison de la Paix (Geneva Graduate Institute), the IGC Secretariat has limited influence on energy-related decisions. However, the Geneva Graduate Institute aims reduce its emissions from heating and electricity in order to reduce its carbon footprint associated with energy. The Maison de la Paix is one of the first buildings to have benefited from the GeniLac technology implemented by SIG, making it a relatively energy-efficient building. In the coming years, the Institute plans to go even further by exploring the financial feasibility of a plan to install solar panels on the roofs of the Maison de la Paix.
Food
The IGC Secretariat has committed to only catering vegetarian food for events and gatherings, and opts for local providers with seasonal menus wherever possible. For the future, the Secretariat seeks to extend these guidelines also to its partners, for instance during the Champions Meetings hosted by different members of the network.
Mobility
The IGC Secretariat chooses events locations with view to their accessibility via public transport/ bike/ foot. Car pooling options will be explored for future events.
Sustainable IT
The IGC Secretariat team is using Ecosia.org as a default browser and is encouraging others to do the same.
Incubated by the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), the IGC Secretariat benefits from the Centre’s technical equipment. The GCSP is committed to maximising the lifespan of technical equipment, and is taking active steps to minimise electric waste.
Waste management
At the Maison de la Paix, waste is sorted into separate bins. The Secretariat commits to using reusable cups, plates, cutlery and water bottles and will encourage partners to do the same at events. Through realistic planning of needs and sharing of leftovers, the Secretariat further avoids food waste at events.
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.
Carbon Footprint
The carbon footprint is being calculated and will be published here in due course
