On the occasion of Earth Day (April 22), the Inter-American Development Bank renews its commitment to the protection of our environment, and makes a special effort, in particular, to address the problem of climate change.
While the effects of climate change will be felt by everyone, recent reports clearly show that it will affect poor countries the hardest. Climate change impacts such as drought, water shortages, floods and landslides are a grave threat to development. As a development bank, the IDB wants to do its part.
The recently approved Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Initiative (SECCI) lays out what the Bank will do in terms of providing assistance and support to the countries of the region. Also, the Bank’s new Environment Policy requires that the Bank measure and monitor the greenhouse gas emissions of the projects it finances. This is a process that began last year when the IDB calculated the carbon footprint of its private sector portfolio for the first time. The IDB is now working on analyzing ways of expanding this to its public sector development activities
“However the IDB recognizes that it must complement these actions by also addressing the issue of climate change as a corporate entity, reducing its own carbon footprint at headquarters and at its country offices”said. IDB Environment Chief, Janine Ferretti. “As such, its commitment to sustainability includes an effort to minimize the environmental impact of its physical facilities and daily operations-its “footprint.” As a first step, the Bank was the first MFI to offset the carbon emissions associated with its annual meeting in Brazil last year, a move since repeated in Guatemala last month. At this meeting, the President announced that the Bank is taking the next step and is going 100% carbon neutral. This includes the purchase of 100% renewable energy for headquarters buildings through the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs). In addition, the Bank will purchase carbon credits to offset carbon emission from other sources, such as meeting travels. It will also begin to look at how this effort is expanded to its country offices.
Taking an eco-friendly approach at IDB headquarters means improving its resource efficiency, by taking a series of actions such as opting for double-sided printing, or even better less paper products such as digital publications, increased use of recycled materials, switching lights off in unused rooms, among other things. In fact, turning off lights and monitors when not in use can lead to huge reductions in electricity consumption.
But the Bank, as well as a growing numbers of organizations, is going beyond these attitudinal efforts and expanding its “buy recycled” policies and practices to incorporate a wider variety of environmental considerations such as buying less hazardous cleaning products, energy- and water-efficient products, recycled goods, and electricity from less polluting sources.
From cutting emissions and implementing the use of eco-friendly paint and carpet cleaner to installing water-free urinals, the Bank is making strides towards “greening” itself from within. The IDB also continues to seek the LEED-EB building standard, or the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’s Green Building Standard for Existing, which promotes the use of sustainable and energy-efficient materials and practices during building operation and remodeling.
An Action Plan for Greening the Bank includes the following seven areas of activity:
1. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle: introducing simple measures to enhance efficiency and obtain savings.
2. Greening Printing and Publications: “encouraging the reduction of printed publications and the use of recycled materials
3. Cafeteria Improvements: improving recycling facilities and encouraging environmental design elements in its redesign of service.
4. Sustainable Procurement: incorporating environmental and social considerations in IDB purchasing decisions
5. Travel to Work: helping reduce the number of cars on the road and carbon emissions in the atmosphere
6. Going Carbon Neutral: seeking innovative mechanisms to offset emissions from IDB facilities and mission travel
7. Green Education & Leadership: overcoming contradictions and encouraging green behavior at the office and home.
The IDB has been working on many of these issues for several years as part of its internal commitment to constantly upgrade and improve its facilities and services. Information on progress to date can be found in the IDB’s second Sustainability Review, to be launched as an online publication on April 23. The review also tracks the Bank’s progress in promoting social and environmental sustainability in IDB-financed projects in its member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.