Written by Colin McEvoy | May 29, 2024 | SHARE
The delegations of the Dutch and German missions have become certified by the Lehigh University Partnership for Sustainable United Nations Missions
For the last six years, Lehigh University has been helping delegations representing countries before the United Nations to integrate sustainable and environmentally responsible practices into their workplaces, and now two more of these missions have achieved that goal.
The delegations of the Dutch and German Missions of the United Nations in New York have become the fifth and sixth missions to be certified by the Lehigh University Partnership for Sustainable United Nations Missions.
That program is a voluntary initiative that provides permanent missions to the United Nations the opportunity to work with Lehigh student teams to identify tangible ways to bring an environmental sustainability framework into their offices in alignment with Greening the Blue, an initiative of the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP).
“It’s truly an amazing experience to have our students – future makers – working with these senior diplomats to the United Nations in this important capacity,” said Bill Hunter, Director of Fellowship Advising and U.N. Programs at Lehigh.
Cheryl Matherly, Vice President and Vice Provost for International Affairs at Lehigh’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), presented the certification to the German Mission earlier this month in New York City, with members of the student team who participated in the process joining virtually.
“We benefited greatly from our exchanges, and you brought a fresh perspective to our premises and operations,” said Holger Dreiseitl, spokesman for the German Mission of the United Nations in New York. “You gave feedback without judging, and it was critical to hear about areas for improvement and positive feedback.”
Lehigh is the only university involved with this work, which stems in part from the Unted Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs), among which are responsible consumption and production, sustainable cities and communities, affordable and clean energy, and clean water and sanitation.
“The program is an excellent initiative that actually helps improve and maintain sustainability goals in and outside our office,” said Mark Reichwein, First Secretary Human Rights of the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations. “The students in the project team operate in a professional and skillful manner and helped guide us to clarifying and improving our own sustainability track record as a Mission.”
A team of Lehigh students conducted a baseline survey with the Missions to better understand the operations of their current office spaces, and held phone calls and meetings with representatives to discuss what could be improved. They also conducted site visits before releasing a set of recommendations to each Mission.
“The Greening the U.N. Missions Project is an amazing opportunity for students to work with international diplomats and officials on their efforts to develop their sustainability practices," said Estefania Ravelo Reyna '26, one of he students who participated in the program.
Matthias Hagemann of the German Mission of the United Nations in New York said they have made several improvements as a result of the collaboration with Lehigh student team, including waste reduction, increased recycling, replacing traditional light bulbs with LEDs, and a search for a green energy supplier.
The Lehigh University Partnership for Sustainable United Nations Missions started in 2008. Prior to Germany and the Netherlands, the last mission to be certified by was the Delegation of the European Union Mission of the United Nations in New York last year.
The program ultimately hopes to work with two Missions each semester moving forward, and expand to more in the future. “Our certification process has been very well received by multiple Missions, and we invite other Missions to join in this enlightening initiative,” Hunter said.
The Lehigh University/United Nations (LU/UN) Partnership provides opportunities for all Lehigh students, faculty, and staff to gain skills necessary to become successful global changemakers by engaging with the United Nations in meaningful ways.
More than 1,000 Lehigh faculty, staff, and students each year attend U.N. conferences, high-level briefings, and private meetings with ambassadors and other U.N. officials in New York City and on campus.