2050Today Members
UNAIDS
Signatory institution of the 2050Today Charter
Climate change is impacting everyone including people affected by AIDS. The effects of climate change related displacement of people is interrupting access to sustainable lifesaving treatment for people living with HIV, HIV prevention services, threatening livelihoods and increasing gender based violence for women and girls. Action on climate change is action towards ensuring people’s right to health.
Contribution to climate action
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 cosponsoring organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.
UNAIDS is committed to the UN system efforts to intensify environmental sustainability from within.
UNAIDS is a relatively small UN entity, and has a high percentage (appx. 60%) of its offices in shared UN common premises. This renders the organisation more nimble and receptive to supporting UN common premises efforts to increase local environmental sustainability.
UNAIDS annually collects data to determine the organizations carbon footprint and takes measures to offset all recorded emissions for the entire entity.
UNAIDS is committed to continue championing the UN system efforts to intensify environmental sustainability from within. This commitment is reflected in the practices and operations embedded at UNAIDS.
Thematic actions
Mobility
UNAIDS Secretariat travel policy contains elements of environmental sustainability.
Most HR interviews are conducted on-line, reducing travel emissions. On-line training is promoted.
Sustainable IT
Steady investment in IT systems and softwares have increased mobile and global connectivity together with significant investment in and promotion of virtual meetings. Moving IT server farm from a physical location to cloud based system 90% achieved.
Development of electronic dashboards reducing printing requirements.
Waste management
In 2021 the Secretariat in Geneva implemented the centralization of office waste collection, to improve waste sorting and reduce consumption of plastic garbage bags. UNAIDS country offices are working to obtain information and data from landlords, both UN and private, on waste volumes and processes; data which can be challenging to obtain.
