## 2020 Environmental Sustainability Report

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [2020 Environmental Sustainability Report](https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/topics/environment/2020-environmental-sustainability-report.pdf)

## Other formats

- [Markdown version](/-/media/files/topics/environment/2020-environmental-sustainability-report.pdf.md)
- [Structured JSON version](/-/media/files/topics/environment/2020-environmental-sustainability-report.pdf.json)

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### Overview and context
- The COVID-19 pandemic became an inescapable reality in 2020. Collective and swift actions by the International Monetary Fund (the Fund) and its members helped fight the pandemic and limit the damage to people’s lives and the global economy.
- The Fund reported several environmental sustainability achievements in 2020 while maintaining focus on staff health and safety.
- The Fund was awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star building certification and its Headquarters Two (HQ2) building in Washington, D.C. was awarded Platinum recertification under the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) program.
- The Fund seeks to maintain pandemic-era gains, make a sizable permanent reduction in the Fund’s carbon footprint, and step up commitments to a greener future.

### Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) alignment
- The Fund supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across multiple dimensions, including:
  - SDG 13 – Climate Action (see Fund actions to reduce carbon footprint).
  - SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy (see the Fund’s purchase of carbon offsets).
  - SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption (see initiatives towards Waste Management).
- The report enumerates the Fund’s support for many SDG targets including access to clean energy, sustainable consumption and production, climate action, sustainable water and sanitation, and biodiversity protection.

### Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and travel trends
- Over the past 10 years:
  - Mission travel has increased by 44 percent.
  - The Fund’s total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) decreased by 10 percent, mostly due to a 54 percent reduction in energy use.
- The pandemic brought a halt to travel in 2020.
- Breakdown by scopes (2020) used by the Fund:
  - Scope 1: Mobile Emissions, Purchased Fuel and Fugitive Emissions.
  - Scope 2: Purchased Electricity.
  - Scope 3: Employee Commuting, Business Travel, Courier and Shipments.
- The report states: "Total GHG emissions fell by approximately" (figure not provided in the supplied content) "in 2020 compared to 2019." The decline is attributed mostly to a sharp decrease in business travel and employee commuting. Business travel has historically been the largest component of the Fund’s GHG footprint.

### Carbon offsets and renewable energy purchases
- Since 2013, the Fund has been reporting its GHG footprint to UN Environment and has continuously achieved Carbon Neutrality for headquarters-based operations.
- The Fund’s remaining carbon emissions, post reduction of GHG emissions, have been offset through investments in carbon offset projects across 10 countries over the past 10 years.
- Carbon offset allocations by country and project counts (as presented):
  - India: 480K — 11 Projects
  - Uganda: 300K — 1 Project
  - Vietnam: 120 K — 1 Project
  - China: 77K — 4 Projects
  - Brazil: 89K — 3 Projects
  - Chile: 58K — 1 Project
  - Mexico: 52K — 2 Projects
  - Honduras: 10K — 1 Project
  - Thailand: 10K — 1 Project
  - Turkey: 2K — 1 Project
- Project types include CLEAN ENERGY, HYDROPOWER, WIND POWER, GREEN TRANSPORTATION, and SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS.

### Waste, water, and resource-use performance
- Water usage decreased by 53 percent in 2020 compared to 2019; the reduction is attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and lower building occupancy.
- The Fund generated 75 percent less waste in 2020 compared to 2019.
- The diversion rate decreased by 16 percent in 2020.
- Waste to landfill remains the largest waste category for the Fund’s headquarters.

### Green awards and technology initiatives
- HQ2 was recertified as LEED Platinum for the 2nd time in 7 years.
- HQ2 was awarded the US EPA Energy Star for the fourth time in 12 years.
- Technology and operational changes reducing energy and resource use:
  - Transition to cloud-based services eliminated on‑premise computing, relying on cloud providers with high energy efficiency.
  - Deployment of virtualization technology to replace physical servers and hardware.
  - Procurement preference for Energy Star certified equipment when needed.
  - Adoption of a "PRINT ON DEMAND" model reduced print volume; print dropped 30 percent in 2020 compared to 2019 due in part to this model and in part to a pandemic-related shift to IMF digital products.

### The way forward — priorities and continued programs
- The Fund will continue to improve existing programs with focus areas including:
  - SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT
  - WASTE REDUCTION AND DIVERSION
  - TRANSPORTATION/COMMUTING
  - ENERGY EFFICIENCY
- The Fund indicates that the future of work promises to be more sustainable and that achieving a permanent reduction in the Fund’s carbon footprint will be a major objective in the years ahead.

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/topics/environment/2020-environmental-sustainability-report.pdf_