Greenhouse Gas Inventory

Action contre la Faim is witnessing every day the consequences of climate change on the most vulnerable people: we have committed to reduce our footprint, and publish today our GHG inventory.

Now widely recognized, climate change is a reality that the entire world population is facing at various scales. In Action contre la Faim’s areas of intervention, populations are already among the most vulnerable and find themselves on the front line of a crisis they are not responsible for and which is increasingly deteriorating their living conditions.

Concerned with strengthening people’s ability to adapt to their degraded environment, Action contre la Faim – France also seeks to reduce its impact on the climate, and has committed to halving its greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint by 2030. This report provides an overview of the organization’s footprint in 2021, both for its head office and for its country offices. It represents an important cornerstone in the implementation of the organization’s environmental transition.

The “Presentation of the Results: Greenhouse Gas Inventory – Action contre la Faim – France” details results and proposes actions for reduction. It is part of the first phase, known as the diagnostic phase, of our environment and climate policy.

MAIN RESULTS

This study establishes Action contre la Faim – France’s GHG footprint at around 150,000tCO2e, with an estimated margin of error of around 20%. This footprint is 98% attributable to activities carried out in country offices.

Two main items are identified as accounting for 80% of the footprint in almost equal shares (with the exception of uncertainty):

They alone generate around 38% of the organisation’s emissions, making them an essential part of our transition plan. The study carried out in partnership with CITEPA to assess the impact of cash transfer activities on our countries of intervention provides a first level of understanding of the situation, but also highlights the need for further research to identify reduction mechanisms.

Purchases of goods and services

They are responsible for around 36% of the total footprint. Almost two-thirds of this footprint come
from activities at the heart of our mandate: nutrition (around a third), health (around a quarter) and food distribution (10%). Reducing these emissions without reducing the level of aid provided is a key challenge for our transition plan.

Viennent ensuite différentes sources qui cumulent 25 % de nos émissions :

Transport of people

Passenger transport generates 8% of our GHG footprint, and almost 80% of this is attributable to ground transportation. This is because, unlike air transport, it is used by a significant number of employees on a daily basis throughout our operating areas. Air transport therefore accounts for a relatively small proportion of our overall footprint, although there is a significant saving each time we eliminate a journey.

Building construction and maintenance

Responsible for 6% of our footprint, this source includes programmatic activities for the creation or rehabilitation of structures, as well as actions linked to the organisation’s own use of premises. The use of cement, sub-contracted construction services and fossil fuels largely account for emissions in this category.

Emissions of less than 5% each

Emissions linked to local partners, employees’ footprint, waste processing and freight.

CONCLUSION

After three years’ work, this carbon footprint provides us with a solid basis on which to build our reduction trajectory and action plans: the main sources of emissions have been identified and quantified, and the avenues for reduction are taking shape a little more each day.

By shedding light on the level, nature and intensity of our emissions, this carbon footprint calculation marks an essential first step for Action contre la Faim, and we are determined to continue working towards achieving the next milestones.