UN to become ‘carbon neutral’

THE UN yesterday announced it would become “climate neutral”, starting by offsetting the greenhouse gas emissions caused by travel to the Bali conference on climate change.

The UN said its emissions from travel to and from Indonesia were about 3,370 tonnes of carbon dioxide, that had a price tag of about $100,000 (about €68,000) at current carbon prices. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, along with his team and 20 agencies, will all offset their travel emissions by investing in “credits” in the Kyoto Protocol’s adaptation fund which will help poor countries cope with climate change.

The move is part of a wider shift that will see the entire UN system, from travel and offices to peace-keeping operations, moving to “climate neutrality”, said the UN Environment Programme’s executive director Achim Steiner.

UNEP will become carbon neutral next month, said Mr Steiner.

At a press conference in Bali yesterday, Mr Steiner was joined by ministers from Costa Rica, New Zealand and Norway, to lay out their countries’ plans for going climate neutral.

Norway is committed to becoming climate neutral by 2050, said environment and development minister Erik Solheim.

New Zealand has a goal of generating 90% of electricity from renewable sources by 2025.

And Costa Rica is aiming to become climate neutral by 2021, to coincide with the country’s 200th anniversary of independence.