As part of their commitments under the Humanitarian Aid Donor Declaration on Climate and Environment and in support of the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organisations, a group of donors has launched 10 Common Donor Priority Actions on Greening Humanitarian Assistance. These Priority Actions are designed to deliver meaningful climate and environmental impact. They include both practical, easily implementable steps and more ambitious initiatives that can help drive transformative change across the humanitarian sector (see list below).
In parallel, the Secretariat for the Climate and Environment Charter has been developing clear, practical guidance to support Charter signatories in their greening efforts. A new set of dedicated Greening Guidance Pages—closely aligned with the Priority Actions—will be launched shortly. These resources aim to demystify complex greening themes, centralise useful tools and references, and support organisations in fulfilling their Charter commitments while effectively implementing the Priority Actions.
This event was co-organised by the Donor Greening Working Group Facilitation Team and the Charter Secretariat.
Webinar Overview:
Part 1: Donors shared how they plan to support partners in implementing the Priority Actions, and how they intend to integrate these into their own humanitarian operations where relevant.
Part 2: A deep dive into the Common Donor Priority Actions, with the Climate Charter Secretariat presenting the new Greening Guidance Pages and key tools that will support implementation.
We heard from humanitarian organisations on the actions they have already taken and the progress made in line with these Priority Actions and their wider Charter commitments.
Directorate‑General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations /DG ECHO
Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation/AECID
Crisis and Support Centre/CDCS
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation/SDC
German Federal Foreign Office/GFFO
Case Studies presented by:
Priority Action 1: Conduct environmental assessments of planned interventions and integrate mitigation measures.
Priority Action 2: Prioritise products and services with a proven lower climate and environmental footprint.
Priority Action 3: Implement measures to significantly minimise greenhouse gas emissions from travel and transport.
Priority Action 4: Incorporate environmentally sustainable waste management.
Priority Action 5: Phase out single-use plastics except where this would compromise the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Priority Action 6: Avoid overexploitation and pollution of water resources and support proper wastewater management.
Priority Action 7: Avoid water trucking except as a last resort. If used, include a strategy to phase it out.
Priority Action 8: Phase out the use of fossil fuel generators where possible, reduce energy consumption and transition to renewable energy.
Priority Action 9: Facilitate access to sustainable and clean cooking solutions and services.
Priority Action 10: Support access to sustainably produced food, preferably locally produced.