UN issues buy tender for Gold Standard-certified carbon credits

The United Nations is looking to purchase almost 12,000 mt carbon credits as part of its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The United Nations Office for Project Services issued a buy tender May 15 for 11,577 certified emissions reductions, or CERs, which are a type of carbon credit generated from clean projects registered under the UN-administered Clean Development Mechanism.

The tender, which closes May 31, stipulates that the CERs must carry certifications from the Gold Standard registry. 1 CER corresponds to one metric ton of CO2 equivalent (CO2e).

UNOPS also specified that CERs generated by avoided deforestation, afforestation and reforestation activities, HFC or other industrial gas destruction projects, large hydro, fossil fuel energy generation projects will not be considered eligible for this procurement.

"Credits should be generated not earlier than 2018 and issued at the time of receipt of the purchase order latest," the tender added.

This comes as the voluntary carbon market is undergoing a significant transition, with a renewed focus on integrity and quality initiatives. These markets have recently been lacking confidence and liquidity due to concerns over the credibility of some credits and projects.

Several nature- and forest-based projects have been probed in recent months, with many academics and media questioning their efficacy due to allegations of over-crediting.

The UN said its entire system was 97% carbon neutral in 2021, according to its most recent annual sustainability report known as Greening the Blue Report.

The various bodies of the UN in total generated around 1.2 million mtCO2e in 2021, compared to 2 million mtCO2e in 2019, according to its estimates. Air travel and operations of its facilities account for the bulk of its emissions.

22% of the electricity consumed by UN bodies in 2021 came from renewable sources, the report added.

UN entities have said they are committed to reducing their environmental impacts via targeted actions on greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, air and water pollution, and biodiversity degradation.