The Secretariat of the Minamata Convention is located at the International Environment House 1 in Geneva, Switzerland, where 4,010 mercury-containing lamps, including fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent bulbs, are being replaced with energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) alternatives.
This initiative mirrors the global efforts to phase out the manufacture, import, and export of mercury-added products, as mandated by Annex A, Part I of the Minamata Convention’s text (?at its fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties).?
The transition to LED lighting, which has taken place during eight months from May to December 2024, has a cost of CHF 800,000 plus VAT, including significant expenses associated to materials and labor for electrical work. This renovation will safely eliminate approximately 51.44 kilograms of mercury from the lighting system of the Environment House. Linking economic and environmental benefits, the LED lights are expected to reduce not only energy consumption, but also greenhouse gas emissions, by a remarkable 60%.?
These new lights include LED tubes, spotlights for hallways, and ceiling lights for restrooms that have an estimated lifespan of 60,000 hours, four times longer than traditional fluorescent lamps.
Meanwhile, the replaced lamps are being carefully dismantled and disposed of, ensuring the responsible management of hazardous waste as required by Swiss regulations, the Minamata Convention, and the Basel Convention.?
The Minamata Convention requires Parties to phase out the manufacturing, import and export of fluorescent lamps for general lighting by 2027. Users of fluorescent lamps will also need to take action like this to shift to LED lighting.
These small actions by all the stakeholders will contribute to protecting human health and the environment from the effects of this hazardous substance.?
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