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Washington, D.C., August 5, 2010
— IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, today received an environmental excellence award from the District of Columbia, reflecting IFC’s commitment to addressing global environmental challenges and mitigating the effects of climate change.
Accepting the award on behalf of IFC was Dorothy Berry, IFC Vice President, Human Resources, Communications, and Administration. The award was presented by Christophe Tulou, Director, District Department of the Environment.
IFC won the “large facility” category in the second annual competition, which recognizes environmental stewardship, innovative best practices, pollution prevention and resource conservation by businesses operating in Washington, D.C. IFC headquarters, built in 1997, encompasses 1,138,000 gross square feet and has more than 2,560 workstations for staff, consultants, and contractors.
“We are honored to receive this award from the District of Columbia,” Lars Thunell IFC Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer said. “Our goal is to achieve best practices in how we manage IFC’s own global footprint. This is an important part of living out our vision and aligning our business operations with what we ask of our clients.”
IFC has made a public commitment to make sustainability an integral part of day-to-day work, and to continually improve the environmental performance of its internal operations. IFC's internal corporate sustainability program, the “Footprint Program,” is leading these efforts through close collaboration with the Facilities Management Unit and departments across IFC, with support from a network of staff volunteers from IFC’s offices around the world, and strategic oversight by an advisory committee made up of members of IFC’s senior management.
Examples of best practices at IFC headquarters include:
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Adjusting a target to reduce the building’s electricity use by 25 percent by 2014, after surpassing the 10 percent reduction target set in 2009
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Purchasing renewable energy certificates to cover 100 percent of the electricity used since December 2004
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Doubling use of video conferencing since 2008 to reduce business travel-related carbon emissions
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Working closely with the World Bank Corporate Responsibility Program to standardize sustainable procurement across the entire World Bank Group
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Achieving U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum Certification for Existing Buildings for the D.C. headquarters building-- the highest rating given to existing buildings for maximizing operational efficiency and minimizing environmental impacts
A case study of IFC’s entry is on the DDOE Web site. For more information visit:
http://ddoe.dc.gov/
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About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in developing countries. We create opportunity for people to escape poverty and improve their lives. We do so by providing financing to help businesses employ more people and supply essential services, by mobilizing capital from others, and by delivering advisory services to ensure sustainable development. In a time of global economic uncertainty, our new investments climbed to a record $18 billion in fiscal 2010. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
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