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S.A.-Problem: Suppliers' lack of awareness about measures to reduce the carbon footprint of product packaging.

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S.A.-Problem: Suppliers' lack of awareness about measures to reduce the carbon footprint of product packaging.

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In the countries where we develop projects, we identified the need for stakeholders to be aware and understand that procurement and supply chain requirements are mutually beneficial actions and that alternatives can be sought for their implementation, in addition to the mutual economic benefit.

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Provide training and information on recovery, reuse, and recycling alternatives for product packaging, also, about on the DRIVE program, and raise awareness about the need to include sustainable procurement requirements, such as climate action, in bidding documents.

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Problems and Solutions with Stakeholders\  Monica Siles

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Problems and Solutions with Stakeholders\  Monica Siles

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Yes, one of the main challenges we’ve faced—both with national counterparts and contractors—is the perception that sustainability is too expensive, difficult to implement, or too time-consuming.

To address this, we take a step-by-step approach, offering continuous guidance and capacity-building. We regularly train suppliers on best practices and provide materials to help them understand the long-term value.

UNOPS also has the DRiVE initiative, which we actively promote to demonstrate that cost-efficient, sustainable solutions do exist and can lead to tangible benefits over time. The key is consistent engagement and showing that sustainability and efficiency can go hand in hand.

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In Costa Rica, when implementing a waste water treatment plant for Puerto Viejo, UNOPS found huge stakeholder resistance to end of treatment spill overs to the sea. Despite understanding the basic science (pollution and CO2 emissions deriving from lack of treatment) and direct benefits (health / tourism increase) arising from having a full waste water treatment, a number of stakeholders adopted a negative positioning against the project, based on their concerns around the marine environment.

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Ambassadors of the Sea, a grassroot of youth environmental defenders, in action

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In Costa Rica, to address community concerns on eventual increase of pollution deriving from the new waste water plant, UNOPS decided to engage a group of young environmental activists to testify by themselves on the real activities and effects registered as a consequence of the project. After launching such iniciative, the level of confidence of stakeholders increased and the objection to the project progressively vanished.

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UNOPS climate impact largely stems from its value chain, which accounts for over 99% of its emissions inventory. Addressing these emissions is crucial, yet UNOPS has limited direct influence over the practices of its partners and clients, from whom these emissions primarily arise. This limited influence extends to the initial project decisions and requirements, given UNOPS' demand-driven operational nature.

Specific challenges include: Influence of partner priorities and constraints; Partner unwillingness to bear costs; Competing priorities for project teams.

Some solutions to address these challenges include:

Engage and Collaborate with Partners and Suppliers; Strengthen Sustainable Procurement Processes; Integrate Climate by Design in Projects (ActionABLE tool for example); Economic Case for Climate Action; Advise on Accessing External Climate Funds (example, GCF, GEF); Enhance Project Screening and Review Processes (ex: POC to review high environmental risk projects, Environmental and social safaguards); Capacity Building for Suppliers (ex: DRIVE); Incorporate Climate Clauses in Contracts; Leverage Technology for Data and Planning: (e.g., Web Buy Plus, e-procurement); Foster Strategic Partnerships.

LEYRE SASTRE

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The lack of a broader, nationwide approach to these issues means that UNOPS is perceived as a "moment" in the country's life rather than as a means of achieving deeper change. The private sector believes that making the effort to secure a contract is unsustainable, and that's why we began working with LTA. However, depending on the investment, in some cases we fail to garner interest and participation.

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Within the context of the project for the acquisition of pharmaceuticals and medical devices in Mexico, various stakeholders—including suppliers, the Mexican government, and internal UNOPS teams—not only showed no resistance to the integration of sustainability in the supply chain but demonstrated a remarkable level of commitment and enthusiasm. This was evident through suppliers' voluntary implementation of corrective action plans , their positive testimonials highlighting the value of UNOPS's sustainability audits , and the tangible improvements implemented in their own operations, such as new gender and environmental policies. Collaboration with the Mexican government to review supplier ethics and compliance programs also underscored this alignment. Furthermore, engagement was manifested in active participation in dialogues, webinars, and thematic reviews on GHG emissions and inclusion , which facilitated knowledge transfer and the early integration of sustainability considerations