The newly released ESCAP Environmental Sustainability Report 2024 shows a transformation that began in 2017 and has now become part of everyday practices across our premises, subregional offices and institutions.

This year’s edition is presented in a fully interactive format - easy to navigate and designed to let staff explore the environmental journey of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) based on what matters most to them.

What’s our progress?

Even if you are not an environmental specialist, the data speak for themselves.

Across the UN compound in Bangkok and across ESCAP’s subregional presence, 2024 marks another year of substantial, measurable impact.

Here are some highlights of the 2024 report compared to the 2016 baseline:

  • 54 per cent emission reductions and ESCAP remains net zero

  • 100 per cent renewable electricity sourced for the fifth year in a row

  • Energy use cut by 25 per cent, saving cumulatively 1.8 million USD since 2017

  • Water consumption down 37 per cent, the equivalent of 82 Olympic pools saved

  • 61 per cent of waste recycled and nearly 9 tons of single-use items avoided annually

  • Greener mobility on the rise: fuel use down 49 per cent thanks to fleet electrification; air travel emissions reduced by 10 per cent.

  • Sustainable meetings and catering now the norm, with plant-based menus available and carbon labels for food.

Why does this matter?

Beyond the numbers, trends, and percentages, the report offers practical inspiration of actions organizations may implement to show leadership in climate action.

The continuous integration of environmental sustainability into ESCAP’s everyday operations made it possible for the Organization to meet all UN Secretariat environmental targets, set for 2025, well ahead of schedule.

ESCAP subregional offices and institutions are implementing environmental management system (EMS) action plans in each duty station and awareness initiatives continue to grow across teams.

As the years pass, the way we meet, travel and consume continues shifting toward greener practices, showing that environmental action is increasingly woven into our everyday work at ESCAP.

Curious to know more? Open the interactive report.