Humanitarian organizations rely on fossil fuels. Here’s how Médecins Sans Frontières is cutting its carbon footprint down

Author Brennan Doherty
The global humanitarian organization’s approach starts with a simple mantra: Mitigate what you can measure

Why It Matters

Humanitarian work has climate impacts. Nearly all of the transportation, logistical, and power generation required to keep a field hospital operational depends on fossil fuel use. Not addressing these issues — especially as more people suffer from the effects of climate change — is antithetical to the principles of international aid.

var TRINITY_TTS_WP_CONFIG = {"cleanText":"Humanitarian organizations rely on fossil fuels. Here\u2019s how M\u00e9decins Sans Fronti\u00e8res is cutting its carbon footprint down. One of Africa\u2019s starkest illustrations of climate change is found on the dried and desiccated shores of Lake Chad.\u00a0 Within the last 60 years, drought and overuse have drained 90 percent of the lake\u2019s water. Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria all depend on it for irrigation and clean water. The effects of this ecological disaster in the Sahel region \u2014 forced migration and even political violence \u2014 are the social effects of climate change, an observation made by M\u00e9decins Sans Fronti\u00e8res (MSF) teams in the region. \u201cThe Sahel, long affected by conflict and insecurity, is now also increasi

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