Mitigation: Carbon and environmental footprint

DRC has high ambitions regarding carbon accounting and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the organization. The 2021 Climate and Environmental Performance Report sets the baseline and starts the process towards reducing the carbon footprint around all of DRCs work.

DRCs carbon accounting commitments

Inspired by the global commitments, DRC aims to reduce its own greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and minimize any negative environmental impacts associated with our conduct and operations. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and minimizing harm to the environment contributes to global climate action ambitions and protecting the natural resource-based livelihoods, health and security of displaced populations and host communities.

DRC is committed to changing its existing way of operating to reduce emissions and working toward the global commitment to limit global warming to below 1.5 degrees. This is done in an ambitious, transparent, and accountable fashion that over time will be implemented across all operations.

DRC aims to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by a minimum of 50% in 2030 compared to 2019 levels. As a result, up to 20 country operations have started elaborating their carbon accounting baselines and specific reduction action plans to be implemented.

Global Climate Crisis

The Paris Agreement affirms a global aim of strengthening the response to the threats of climate change.

It does so by striving to keep the global temperature rise this century well below 2.0 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

In October 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C, finding that limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society.

Mitigation within DRCs work

Mitigation refers to the reduction of the rate of climate change via the management of its causal factors, i.e. the emission of greenhouse gases from fossil fuel combustion, agriculture, land use changes, cement production, etc. (UNFCCC). UNEP defines mitigation as using new technologies and renewable energy, making older equipment more energy efficient, or changing management practices or consumer behavior.

Reducing DRC’s Carbon Footprint

Reducing DRC’s Environmental Footprint

Sustainable Supply chains

Sustainable Supply chains are expected to be the biggest contributors to the DRC carbon and environmental footprint. A greener procurement policy, the development of which was initiated mid-year 2020, will allow for DRC to use its purchasing power to choose environmentally friendly goods, services and works.

Sustainable transportation and Logistics Policy

Sustainable transportation and Logistics Policy is an essential feature of DRC’s work, which naturally contributes to emissions. DRC will look at the following elements, among others: alternative transportation modes, reducing flights, promote alternatives to travel including virtual tools, and carbon offsetting mechanisms.

Responsible Office conduct

Responsible Office conduct and in-house operations comprises a range of activities that contributes to DRC carbon and environmental footprint. Several actions that could potentially affect the environment are identified: energy management, enhancement of recycling practices and ways to limit waste, improved water management, reduction of ICT related emissions.

Transparent climate and environment reporting

Transparent climate and environment reporting will give an overview of DRC’s footprint. This exercise has been started and will take place throughout 2021 and gradually be developed in scope and granularity over the coming years. All parts of the organization will be engaged.

WREC - Environmental Sustainability in Humanitarian Logistics

The DRC is partner organization of the WREC Project - the Waste Management
Measuring, Reverse Logistics, Environmentally Sustainable Procurement and
Transport, and Circular Economy (WREC) Project which aims to

produce harmonized guidance on waste management and greenhouse gas emissions,
increase knowledge and awareness in the humanitarian community about green logistics,
and support practitioners in environmental impact reduction, with a special focus on sustained field-based solutions.