The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
UNOPS joins the Circular & Fair ICT Pact to foster sustainability in ICT
Together with partners, UNOPS will work to accelerate circularity, fairness, and sustainability in the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector.
UNOPS Director of Procurement, Anne-Claire Howard, on joining The Circular & Fair ICT Pact.
A circular economy is key to achieving climate goals and the 2030 Agenda. Circularity keeps materials at their highest value within the economy for as long as possible. It helps to mitigate negative environmental impacts, including loss of biodiversity, through reduced consumption of natural resources, and better management of pollutants and waste, and it supports the creation of new jobs as well as local innovative businesses.
To support the sustainable procurement of ICT equipment and to collaborate with UN Member States and other public procurement institutions in this area, UNOPS has joined The Circular & Fair ICT (CFIT) Pact – announced during the 2024 One Planet Network Forum, convened by the government of Brazil on the margins of the G20.
“At UNOPS, we believe sustainable, innovative, and transparent procurement approaches are key to supporting all 17 Sustainable Development Goals," said Anne-Claire Howard, UNOPS Director of Procurement.
By joining the Circular & Fair ICT Pact, we're helping to accelerate fairness and sustainability in the ICT sector – reducing carbon emissions while fostering transparent and fair value chains that prioritize social justice, human rights, and labour rights.
A global initiative under the Sustainable Public Procurement Programme of the UN One Planet Network, the pact aims to accelerate the transition towards circular and fair ICT products through the power of procurement. It will provide guidelines and easy-to-use baseline criteria for the procurement of ICT equipment building on partners’ best practices.
"As the head of the UNEP One Planet Network, it is always rewarding to witness our flagship initiatives and partnerships prosper, new organizations showing interest and key milestones being reached. It is especially meaningful when UN family members support our initiatives," said Jorge Laguna-Celis, UNEP Chief of Service, Industry and Economy Division.
“We’re excited to have UNOPS join us. We look forward to learning from their global sustainable procurement experience and believe CFIT will accelerate their efforts," said Marieke Weerdesteijn, Programme Manager of the Circular and Fair ICT Pact (CFIT).
Through the pact, partners will push for lower carbon emissions in ICT products by buying circular, extending product lifespans and stimulating innovation.
