The United Nations in Turkmenistan launched its first “Let’s Go Green” initiative.

The campaign started upon receipt of UNICEF Greening and Accessibility Fund (GrAF) which allowed the UN Operations Management Team to start activities on replacement of fluorescent lamps with installation of occupancy sensors and LED lights in the UN House. These measures will save up to 20% on electricity costs and reduce GHG emissions and environmental footprint of the UN Building in Ashgabat.  

As a follow up to UNICEF’s Greening and Accessibility project implementation, it was agreed to extend the Greening initiative to a larger format and engage all staff members of UN Turkmenistan in attaining more environment friendly and efficient operations and to introduce Reduce-Reuse-Recycle and saving practices.

The Town Hall Meeting on 18 April 2018 focused on the discussions on importance of activities related to nature protection and environmentally friendly behavior. As part of the campaign, the Donation Drive was installed to collect clothes, books and toys, and other household items which will be sent to needed families through local NGOs; a practice on waste paper collection and recycling in the UN building was established in cooperation with a local private company.

As regards the Earth Day on April 22, the UN staff mobilized to clean up the UN House surroundings and plant flowers around the UN compound, while the kids had crafting session using recyclable materials.

The UN family in Turkmenistan believes these first steps will help to reduce the environmental impact and underscore their commitment to sustainability. These events inspired staff and their children to go as green as possible by raising their knowledge about the importance of saving an environment.