Actions taken:
In addition to the actions, mentioned in relation to the Finnish Red Cross and Finnish Government pledge on the Protection of the Environment (Number: SP330041), the Finnish Red Cross took the following actions to ensure that environmental and climate-related considerations are taken into account in operational humanitarian response:
• The Finnish Red Cross updated their procurement guidelines in 2022 to include more considerations for a green humanitarian response on the procurement side, both domestically and internationally, by looking for greener alternatives and tapping into the good work done by International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
• The Finnish Red Cross is a member of the Green Response Working Group, set up by IFRC, looking for ways for a greener humanitarian response, and has signed the international Climate Charter in May 2021.
• The Finnish Red Cross follows the environmental guidelines of the donor agencies like Finnish government and DG ECHO and reports accordingly. In 2023, Finnish Red Cross commissioned a study on the feasibility of using solar power in field hospitals vs. diesel generators. Given the short lifespan of the field hospitals, diesel generator was found less polluting and more cost-efficient.
• The Finnish Red Cross also started measuring the carbon footprint of the headquarters and international humanitarian operations in 2023, using 2022 as the base year. This calculation will be expanded to other units and district offices during 2024, and further to the local branches during 2025-2026.
