Background/aim

Humanitarian organizations are increasingly piloting the use of decision-making tools aimed at comparing the environmental performance (and other considerations) of the various aid items and materials that they purchase as part of their operations. This session - organized jointly by the Joint Initiative for Sustainable Humanitarian Assistance Packaging Waste Management and the Global Shelter Cluster - will explore some of these efforts, identify their benefits and limitations, as well as point out some of the lessons learned by those who have piloted them.

Overview of the tools/initiatives that are going to be addressed and panels

• Climate Action Accelerator /EPFL are implementing a 3 year project aimed at performing streamlined LCAs for most common Core Relief Items (ex: Mattresses, Blankets, Jerrycans, Floor mats). It will lay the foundation for a sector-wide, open-source emissions factor database that will continue to be managed and kept up-to-date by the Climate Action Accelerator. The database will also be linked to the Humanitarian Carbon Calculator. (Sonja Schmid - Head, Solutions Team).
  
  

• The Joint Initiative for Sustainable Humanitarian Packaging Waste in partnership with WFP is carrying out streamlined LCA exercises for Packaging Items. The results of this 2 year-long project will help WFP in making sound environmental choices for their upcoming packaging decisions. (Amro El-Zoubi - Environmental Expert/Consultant).
  
  

• Global Shelter Cluster’s Methodology for the Assessment of Carbon (SMAC) - The SMAC tool is a simple tool that enables humanitarian operations to assess the level of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2 eq) of shelter assistance materials. It is based on a cradle-to-grave approach, encompassing material extraction, processing, transport, packaging, use, and disposal, in line with industry practice. SMAC can be used to directly compare several different choices of materials in the design of a shelter to identify the combination with the lowest possible CO2 eq output. George will talk about the SMAC tool and how it fits into a broader “scorecard approach” for measuring the environmental impact of shelter materials and non-food items. (George Foden - Doctoral Researcher in Loughborough Centre for Sustainable Transitions: Energy, Environment, and Resilience / Member of the Global Shelter Cluster Environmental Community of Practice)
• UNHCR’s Shelter and Sustainability Assessment Tool - UNHCR has developed a user-friendly LCA tool to help choose between different shelter materials/shelter types based on GHG emissions and the impact on water as well as cost and durability. (Rama Nimri - Settlement Planning Officer)