UNHCR, WREC Coalition and Climate Action Accelerator launch ECHO-funded project to green humanitarian supply chains

UNHCR, the LTC-led WREC Coalition and Climate Action Accelerator have launched a collaborative project funded by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO). The initiative is intended to help the humanitarian community reduce the environmental impact of its supply chains, cut waste and use resources more efficiently.

The project builds on the Humanitarian Leadership Group on Supply Chain (HLGSC), launched earlier in 2024. Under that framework, the three organisations were selected as co-leads of the Environmental Sustainability Thematic Working Group; they will pool expertise and networks, strengthen sector-wide collaboration, align standards and accelerate practical action.

Operational priorities include measuring carbon emissions, assessing the life cycle of relief items, green procurement, reverse logistics and waste management in crisis zones. An ECHO representative said more than 60 humanitarian organisations had endorsed a concrete action plan covering environmental sustainability, procurement, digitalisation, preparedness and localisation.