Responsible operations and environmental sustainability 2024

IIED’s comprehensive environmental sustainability impact report for 2023/24 highlights how the institute is working to address and reduce its environmental footprint.

A farmer looks down as his rice crop starts to grow in a large field, with a wind turbine in the background.

A farmer checks the drip irrigation system at a rice field in Govindapuram, Tamil Nadu, India, with a wind turbine in the background (Photo: Hamish John Appleby, IWMI, via Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

As part of our commitment to transparency and working in an open and accountable way, we publish information about our actions on environmental responsibility.

IIED’s second environmental sustainability impact report (also below) outlines our progress on the five pillars of our environmental sustainability strategy to:

  • Reduce our carbon emissions
  • Promote ethical banking, pensions and procurement
  • Establish eco-friendly office environments
  • Show environmental leadership and campaigning, and
  • Promote and support an environmentally-aware workforce.

A year of progress

IIED made significant progress towards its environmental sustainability goals in 2023/24, during which the institute launched its new strategy, Manifesto for a Thriving World. This is underpinned by the development of a full environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy that will be published in 2025. 

IIED’s progress in 2023/24 included: 

  • A thorough assessment of carbon emissions
  • Completing its first materiality assessment
  • Engaging with suppliers to reduce emissions, and
  • Maintaining the institute’s ISO14001 status.

Although IIED’s total emissions rose in 2023/24, driven by an increase in air travel and purchased services, the overall trajectory of emissions for air travel since 2018 shows a linear reduction in the number of flights per employee.

IIED executive director Tom Mitchell said: “ Despite reporting an increase in total emissions versus the previous reporting year, this reflects a returning to the normal course of business after the COVID-19 pandemic. As a research and impact organisation, IIED needs to balance its operational impact with the impact it can achieve towards its mission.”

IIED is continuing to work on reducing its emissions in line with its commitment to becoming a net zero organisation, and will publish a realistic yet ambitious target for reducing air travel in 2025.

This summary outlines our scope 1-3 emissions, encompassing direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions associated with our operations and value chain.

 

Scope 1 emissions represent direct emissions from our controlled sources, which includes emissions from the generation of heating and cooling our offices.

 

Scope 2 emissions cover our indirect emissions resulting from the generation of purchased electricity accounting for under 1% of our total emissions.

 

Scope 3 emissions include indirect emissions from our entire value chain, accounting for 99% of our total emissions. The majority of these emission are attributed to our business travel with the remainder as a result of events staff attend and the purchasing of services.

IIED’s first materiality assessment identified, evaluated and prioritised the most significant environmental, social and governance material topics that could impact IIED’s business or stakeholders.QMS logo

This included input from more than 30 stakeholders and will be used to inform the priorities in IIED’s new ESG strategy.

IIED completed its transition to a new pension platform and also moved the location of its London headquarters in November 2023; the new building was selected using an improved green buildings sustainability set of criteria that included energy efficiency and use.

Further reading