The IDB re-emphasizes its commitment to carbon neutrality in its corporate practices

In light of today’s 3rd anniversary of the Paris Agreement – and recognising the latest scientific urgency to achieve net-zero carbon emissions rapidly – the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) re-emphasizes its long-standing commitment to carbon neutrality in its corporate practices. The IDB joined 14 other organisations, including all 68 agencies of the United Nations, in Katowice, Poland, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24), to launch a multi-organization effort at “walking the talk.” As part of this, the IDB outlined its existing and planned efforts to measure, reduce and offset its unavoidable carbon emissions.

“The science is increasingly clear that the world needs to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and we’re proud to have the IDB already meeting this goal internally”, said Amal-Lee Amin, Chief of the IDB’s Climate Division, and head of the IDB delegation at COP24.

Since the IDB’s initial neutrality commitment in 2006, covering just its annual meeting at the time, the Bank’s efforts have expanded to cover its entire corporate greenhouse gas footprint – including all of its headquarters buildings in Washington, DC, 26 country offices in Latin America and the Caribbean, and two special offices in Japan and Spain.

Some of the IBD’s significant steps to reduce its carbon emissions have come from lowering energy use in its offices by upgrading mechanical equipment, replacing inefficient lighting with LED bulbs, and renovating more than 100,000 square feet of office space to open layouts that take advantage of natural light.

In addition, on-site solar power systems have been installed in IDB’s offices in Bahamas, Brazil, Haiti, and Jamaica as part of a plan to accelerate use of renewable energy (renewable energy credits already cover 100% of electricity use at IDB headquarters). The Bank plans to expand its roster of LEED-certified buildings. Currently, six offices are certified, two in Washington DC and four in the region (Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru and Panama). The IDB is pursuing LEED certification in Jamaica and will also do so for an office under construction in the Dominican Republic.

The Bank’s main challenge is addressing greenhouse gas emissions from business travel. To mitigate these and other unavoidable emissions, the IDB has a robust program to invest in carbon offsets, recently supporting reforestation, clean cookstove distribution, and wind energy projects in the region.