The UNFCCC secretariat is committed to enhancing the environmental sustainability of its operations and of UNFCCC conferences and meetings. The reduction of paper usage is one step in this direction.

In the past, these meetings and conferences used large quantities of paper and require extensive use of human resources for production and distribution of documents in the conference rooms. Through initial steps at the UNFCCC May sessions in Bonn, paper usage was reduced by 50 per cent in comparison with the same event in 2011.

In order to further its goal of an environmentally sustainable COP 18 /COP 8, and to enhance the electronic availability of documentation and other information, the secretariat has now partnered with the United Nations Integrated Sustainable PaperSmart Services (ISPS) secretariat to provide all conference participants with a resource and carbon friendly documentation solution - PaperSmart.

PaperSmart is aimed at reducing paper wastage through efficient use of print-on-demand services and promoting use of electronic media for documents distribution.

SUSTAINABILITY
PaperSmart aims to reduce the carbon footprint of the organization by using print-on-demand services.

EFFICIENCY
Making information about the meetings of the United Nations available in various digital formats and facilitating consultations and sharing of information without being physically present in the meeting room.

ACCESSIBILITY
The PaperSmart model, through its integration of technologies, makes information and documents accessible to persons with disabilities.

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
The PaperSmart model provides an integrated documentation solution for all participants at the meetings of the United Nations.

There are four ways of accessing of such documents:

• ISPS PORTAL: Web-based access to all official documents and statements related to meetings will be available in all official languages (where available);
• ISPS MEDIA: Distribution of official documents via USB disks will be available from the PaperSmart Desk located at various places in the conference venue;
• ISPS e-PUBLISH: Official documents and statements can be viewed on a variety of mobile devices, tablets, being carried by delegations. QR code posters will enable downloading of documents in your available preferred language to mobile devices/ tablets;
• ISPS PRINT-ON-DEMAND: On-demand hard copy of official documents.

The UNFCCC website is the official and permanent repository for information relating to the intergovernmental climate change process, including official UNFCCC documents. Final versions of all official UNFCCC documents are made available at the UNFCCC website's official documents page.

The PaperSmart portal is a conference-related service with open access to all. For COP 18, the portal is expected to 'go live' two weeks before the start of the conference and will close two weeks after the end of the conference. The portal will contain the following types of document:

• Final versions of official UNFCCC documents prepared specifically for that session (all other
official UNFCCC documents can be accessed via the UNFCCC website);
• Possible intermediate versions of official documents prepared during the session;
• Official statements;
• A user-customizable electronic Daily Programme.

The PaperSmart portal will feature a print-on-demand service allowing participants to request up to five hard copies of specific documents.

Documents prepared specifically for the conference will be available via:

• UNFCCC website;
• PaperSmart portal;
• Print-on-demand (hard copies);
• USB sticks;
• QR code posters, which can be scanned to download documents on to appropriate mobile electronic devices (smartphones or tablets).

All other official documents (i.e. those not prepared specifically for the conference) will be available at the official UNFCCC website.

The print-on-demand facility available to participants will allow them to request up to five hard copies of a particular document.

A process will be in place to allow secretariat staff to request more copies of specific documents if necessary.

L documents will be published and made available in electronic form to all via the UNFCCC website the PaperSmart portal during the conference.

For specific L documents prepared for closing plenary meetings, which have to be made available at short notice and/or in hard-copy form, the required number of hard copies shall be printed and distributed in plenary and/or at the PaperSmart desks.

For Parties: Delegations can email the electronic copies of their High Level Segment statements at papersmart@un.org for uploading to the PaperSmart portal, at least two hours in advance of their designated speaking slot. The statements will, however, be under embargo until delegations deliver their statement.

For IGOs and NGOs: The electronic copies of High Level Segment statements to be made by the heads of IGOs and by representatives speaking on behalf of NGO constituencies should be emailed to cool@unfccc.int by 8 a.m. on Friday, 7 December 2012 and the statements will be uploaded to the PaperSmart portal. The statements will, however, be under embargo until the representatives deliver their statement. Any statements received after the aforementioned time will be posted after the end of the joint high level segment. Note that statements by heads of IGOs and representatives speaking on behalf of NGO constituencies sent to papersmart@un.org will not be processed. No distribution of hard copies of the statements will be permitted.