Greening Humanitarian Assistance: Donor Priorities and Practical Guidance, Facilitators of the Donor Greening Group (INSPIRE+ Consortium/Groupe URD), August 2025

Following the launch of the Donor Greening Priorities and the Practical guidance on environmental sustainability launched together with the Donor Greening Group and the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations (see recording here), the event report shares insights into the launch, examples shared by practitioners on actioning the priorities and key messages shared by participants. A list of priority actions has also been developed.

Guidance Notes on Common Donor Priority Actions

The Common Donor Priority Actions for Greening Humanitarian Assistance are intended to strengthen donor coordination in mainstreaming climate and environmental considerations across humanitarian assistance. Ten Guidance Notes have been developed to support organisations in integrating the Priority Actions (PAs) into their humanitarian responses. Each note translates the relevant PA into clear, practical steps: highlighting key considerations for decision-making, identifying good practices and common pitfalls, and signposting further resources for more detailed guidance.

• Guidance Note 1: Conduct environmental assessments of planned interventions and integrate mitigation measures
• Guidance Note 2: Prioritise products and services with a proven lower climate and environmental footprint
• Guidance Note 3: Implement measures to significantly minimise greenhouse gas emissions from travel and transport
• Guidance Note 4: Incorporate environmentally sustainable waste management.
• Guidance Note 5: Phase out single-use plastics except where this would compromise the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
• Guidance Note 6: Avoid overexploitation and pollution of water resources and support proper waste- water management.
• Guidance Note 7: Avoid water trucking except as a last resort. If used, include a strategy to phase it out.
• Guidance Note 8: Phase out the use of fossil fuel generators where possible, reduce energy consumption and transition to renewable energy.
• Guidance Note 9: Facilitate access to sustainable and clean cooking solutions and services.
• Guidance Note 10: Support access to sustainably produced food, preferably locally produced.