Mexico. The Federal Institute of Telecommunications, IFT, became the first government institution to receive the UNAM Environmental Distinction 2015, Gold Level, which is awarded to institutions that implement strategies for a better use of facilities with a lower impact on the environment. This is the first time that an institution outside UNAM has received this degree of recognition.
The National Autonomous University of Mexico, UNAM, carried out in recent months a diagnosis of the environmental performance of the headquarters and alternate buildings of the IFT, with the purpose of knowing the environmental impact generated by the operation, having information to design tailor-made actions and optimizing their environmental performance in four axes of action: energy efficiency, water and waste management, as well as responsible consumption.
Thanks to the measures applied by the IFT Administration Unit and followed by all the staff of the Institute, only during the second half of 2015 was it avoided, for example, that 91 trees were cut down and 140 thousand 338 liters of water were used to manufacture paper, 7 thousand 881 liters of fuel were consumed for various activities, 22,129 kilowatts of electricity were consumed and 16.19 cubic meters of garbage were buried.
THE IFT's commitment to the environment is part of a comprehensive strategy of social responsibility and inclusion that includes other practices, such as the installation of breastfeeding cabins for working mothers; adaptations to buildings in terms of accessibility for people with disabilities, among others.
During the delivery of the Badge, Mtra. Mireya Ímaz Gispert, Coordinator of the University Program of Strategies for Sustainability of the UNAM, stressed that the program aims to stimulate a better use of the facilities and reduce the environmental impact. In order to recognize the performance and encourage the prompt application of the measures that emerge from the UNAM Environmental Diagnosis, a credit system was designed with which both IFT buildings were evaluated.
Among the practices implemented by the IFT to ensure the sustainability of both buildings are the use of biodegradable materials for cleaning, the acquisition of products with less environmental impact, a waste management plan and operational measures to save water and electricity.
The UNAM Environmental Distinctive comprehensively evaluates the four axes of action mentioned above and identifies the degree of progress in compliance with the recommendations generated as a result of the Diagnosis. Based on the above, determine which of the three possible levels you will award — from lowest to highest: Basic, Blue, and Gold. With the delivery of this last distinction, the IFT becomes the first government institution to reach the highest possible level of certification.
The President of the Institute, Gabriel Contreras and the Head of the Administration Unit Mario Alberto Fócil Ortega, endorsed the IFT's commitment to the environment, which was reflected in the Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility Program 2015-2016.
