Permanent Mission of Switzerland, April 2026
The Lehigh team presenting at the award ceremony for the Permanent Mission of Switzerland Certification.
Permanent Mission of Switzerland, April 2026
Ambassador Pascale Baeriswyl, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the UN, Jamil Ahmed, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at UNEP New York, the Lehigh team, and other members of UNEP and the Permanent Swiss Mission after the award ceremony.
Delegation of the European Union to the UN, May 2023
Ambassador Skoog, Permanent Representative of the Delegation of the European Union to the UN, and the Lehigh Team
Delegation of the European Union to the UN, May 2023
Delegation of the European Union to the UN certification plaque
Being a part of the Greening of the United Nations Missions program was a crucial tool in order to reach our goals of becoming one of the most sustainable representations in New York City. Lehigh and their skilled students has created a certification processes that is very easy to, not only be a part of, but also to implement. We strongly recommend other missions become part of, and also implement, this programme.
Zabrina Kjeldsen, Deputy Head of Administration for the Royal Danish Consulate General & The Permanent Mission of Denmark to the United Nations, New York
Greening the UN
As part of the UN’s global sustainability push, UN leadership challenged 193 missions to improve efficiency and become greener and more sustainable in their operations. While the UN was encouraging the world to adopt sustainable practices, it also sought to strengthen sustainability within its own spaces, especially across diplomatic missions.
The former AG within the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) conducted a global search for a university partner to help support this work and selected Lehigh. Today, Lehigh’s students remain uniquely involved in this project, as the only student team in the world doing this specific mission-focused certification work to make the UN more sustainable.
The certification process begins when a Mission expresses interest and designates a point of contact to schedule an on-site meeting with the Lehigh project team. After this kickoff, the Mission completes a baseline survey to assess its current sustainability measures, with Lehigh available to assist as needed. In a follow-up consultation, the project team reviews the survey, identifies opportunities for improvement, and outlines the next steps. The mission then implements the agreed-upon actions with Lehigh’s support, reports back on progress, and receives a final results report prepared by the Lehigh team highlighting impacts and best practices. The process concludes with formal recognition of the Mission's sustainability efforts.
Each mission certification costs $3,000, which is designed to cover program costs rather than generate profit. The long-term goal is to grow capacity so the program can support more missions at a time, expanding the reach and impact of sustainability improvements across the UN system.
Lehigh’s primary point of contact for the UN is Bill Hunter, Ed.D. For inquiries, please contact Bill Hunter.
| Mission | Recognition Year | Level Achieved |
|---|---|---|
| Mission of Sweden | 2019 | Gold |
| Mission of Iceland | 2022 | Gold |
| Consulate General of Iceland | 2022 | Gold |
| Mission of Denmark | 2022 | Platinum |
| European Union Delegation | 2023 | Gold |
| Mission of Netherlands | 2024 | Gold |
| Mission of Germany | 2024 | Gold |
| Mission of Canada | 2025 | Platinum |
| Mission of Switzerland | 2026 | Platinum |
Process
FAQs
No, the process to be recognized is completely voluntary, meaning Missions may opt in or out as they see fit. The program is simply designed to provide guidance towards establishing leadership in Sustainability.
Yes. The evaluation process costs $3,000, which includes a site visit by the student team, the assessment and recommendations, and an end of review summary and plaque.
However, implementing the recommendations is in no way required and therefore, the implementation costs are entirely elective and can even be scaled depending on the level to fit any budget. Our goal is to always make cost-effective recommendations based on leading research, but we understand that resources are limited.
It is important to note however, that there may be costs from non-compliance with the city of New York which requires certain sustainable practices in office facilities.
This program will not only give you a platform to become leaders of sustainability, but also allow you to adopt practices shown to reduce operation costs over time—if not immediately. Additionally, partnering with our team is an opportunity to demonstrate your country’s commitment to achieving the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs in a tangible, local way.
Yes! You do not have to repeat the program to maintain your recognition status, however you can certainly continue a partnership with Lehigh University seeking further improvements and recognition as the process is designed to allow for continual iterative improvements.
Yes, in addition to making recommendations we are happy to assist in the completion of both the Baseline Survey, meant to measure current status, as well as our Checklist of Actions, which allows us to recognize Missions’ for their commitment.