OUR COMMITMENT
We recognize that long-term economic growth and the reduction of poverty and inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean depend on development that is both socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable. To that end, we have made a commitment to maximizing positive environmental and social outcomes of our work while minimizing risks and negative impacts on people and natural capital.
OUR SAFEGUARDS
We apply a comprehensive set of environmental and social safeguard policies to the projects we finance to help protect against environmental and social harm, improve development value for our stakeholders, and enable our countries and clients to meet best international practices. These policies are essential to our mission to reduce poverty and inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean.
THE IDB IS MODERNIZING ITS ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL POLICIES
The Inter-American Development Bank is developing an updated, integrated policy framework to manage environmental and social risks. The modernization of these policies aims to enhance the environmental and social sustainability of the IDB’s operations, and better align them with international standards and best practices. To learn more about this and participate in the process, click here.
1. We add sustainability value to development projects through implementing safeguards, managing environmental and social impacts and risks, and bypassing costly future delays.
2. We analyze and classify the environmental and social impacts and risks associated with the projects, assigning safeguard specialists and resources to evaluate the adequacy of assessments, management plans, procedures, capacity and institutional arrangements.
3. We identify additional measures, where necessary, to be included in the project design and operation to ensure that environmental and social impacts and risks are mitigated and managed, and to help our clients to meet and/or exceed global benchmarks in environmental and social performance.
4. We calculate the GHG impacts of our investments, applying best available technologies to reduce emissions generated and to increase avoided emissions.
5. We monitor the safeguard performance in our portfolio, with a particular focus on those projects with high environmental and social risks, to identify potential compliance concerns, as well as areas for improvement.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT CLASSIFICATION STATISTICS
# of loans approved in 2018, classified Category A, Environmental and Social Impact
| Category | Amount of loans | # of loans |
|---|---|---|
| A | US$377 million | 6 |
| B | US$3,500 million | 36 |
| C | US$1,800 million | 22 |
| FI | US$7,800 million | 32 |
GHG ACCOUNTING IN OUR PORTOFLIO STATISTICS
-2
million tons CO2eq emissions avoided from low-carbon development projects approved in 2018.
+0.24
million tons CO2eq emissions generated from greenfield and expansion projects approved in 2018.
Environmental and Social Impact Assessments are prepared for projects with potentially substantial environmental and social impacts. ESIAs are made available to affected populations and local nongovernmental organizations by the borrower before the Bank conducts its Analysis/Due Diligence Mission and also are on the Bank’s website.
Safeguards in action: Las Voces de Reventazón
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