Aug 10 2009
A few weeks after the (UNOG) received the the office has launched a new renewable energy project that will use water from Lake Geneva to cool the Palais des Nations and its conference rooms, as well as the International Labour Organization (ILO) building.
UNOG's Director-General Sergei Ordzhonikidze and State Councillor of the Republic and canton of Geneva Robert Cramer officially launched the project known asGenève-Lac-NationsGLN) at UNOG on Wednesday, 29 July 2009.
The project was developed by the "Services Industriels de Genève" (SIG).
In the second phase, the GLN grid will also be used to supply renewable energy, using water from the Lake to heat pumps, which will supply heating for the new buildings in the Nations area, such as the "Collège Sismondi", the "Maison de la Paix", and the extension of the Word Trade Organization (WTO) building.
Last month, UNOG received the prestigious environmental award "Nature Reserve Certificate" from the Swiss non-profit organization "Fondation Nature & Economie" for the maintenance of its Ariana Park compound.
To mark the official launch of the latest project, Director-General Ordzhonikidze and Geneva State Councillor Cramer, opened an exhibition entitled, "Greening the United Nations in Geneva."
The exhibition in the Passerelle, between the new and the old building of the Palais des Nations, was created by the UNOG Library. It shows through photographs, the different steps of "Genève-Lac-Nations" and points out other actions undertaken by UNOG towards making its premises more climate neutral.
To learn more about what UNOG is doing to green the UN, and to pick up some tips on what to do to help, please visit the exhibition in the Passerelle or download the panels in pdf format at Exhibition Greening the United Nations in Geneva. .
UNOG's achievements are concrete actions, which follow the policies of the Secretary-General to protect the environment and fight global warming.
Join "Copenhagen: Seal the Deal!" campaign.
The main objective of this campaign, lead by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is to encourage governments to seal the deal on a fair, balanced and effective climate agreement when they meet in Copenhagen in December 2009.
On the occasion of the launch of the campaign "Copenhagen: Seal the Deal!" UNOG Director-General Ordzhonikidze and the Geneva State Councillor, Mr. Cramer, signed the climate petition on the campaign website.