3rd CLIMACT Seminar Series - Episode #16
Throughout its 3rd series of seminars, CLIMACT and its guest speakers explored solutions to transform society to fight climate change, adapt and mitigate further impacts.
The final session will bring us in the field of humanitarian aid of a well-known international organisation. Indeed, CLIMACT is welcoming Kathrine Vad, Environment and Climate Change Adviser at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Human crisis + climate crisis: How the ICRC addresses both
The International Committee of the Red Cross provides assistance and protection to people affected by conflict and violence around the world. This means helping people survive in the most dire contexts - providing urgent, life-saving support such as clean water, food, seeds and agricultural tools, health care and so on.
But producing food, medicine and essential household items and shipping them around the world generates greenhouse gas emissions. The plastic we package our life-saving products in soon becomes waste. The offices we occupy to ensure our operations can run consume energy and water.
I will show how the ICRC works to integrate sustainability principles into humanitarian action, whether by adapting our interventions to help people be more resilient to climate change or reducing the environmental footprint of our operations. And also how we engage with the international community to ensure greater consideration for conflict-affected communities.
Kathrine Vad
Environment and climate change adviser at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Kathrine Vad has been working on the topic of environmental sustainability since the very start of her career. She joined the ICRC in 2017 as an environment and climate change advisor. Kathrine has been a catalyst for the ICRC's sustainability agenda, propelling it forward with her drive and dedication. Before the ICRC, Kathrine worked as an environmental management consultant and sustainability expert for governmental bodies and the private sector.