Responsible operations 2017

We are working to reduce the environmental impact of our activities, and to ensure that we operate in an open and accountable way.

Many of IIED's staff travel to work by bike, taking personal responsibility for reducing their carbon footprint. IIED also has a strategy for reducing its organisational carbon footprint (Photo: Matt Wright/IIED)

Many of IIED's staff travel to work by bike, taking personal responsibility for reducing their carbon footprint. IIED also has a strategy for reducing its organisational carbon footprint (Photo: Matt Wright, IIED)

We are still well below our 2.5 per cent per year reduction target for annual emissions per FTE (ie 7.8 tCO2e per FTE being 15 per cent under the target of 9.2tCO2e). 

This year saw a two per cent increase in our organisational carbon footprint on 2015/16, reflecting an increase in our air travel emissions. This highlights how much the location of our work has a direct effect on our emissions (such as the increase in travel distances due to the 2016 UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) being held in Marrakech versus the 2015 COP in Paris, and the 2016 UNCHSUD Habitat III held in Quito that takes place every 20 years). 

We continue to maintain an ISO14001-certified environmental management system.

IIED annual carbon footprint (April 2012 to March 2017)
IIED carbon footprint* 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17
GHG emission data in tonnes of CO2e** (Base year)
Scope 1 (direct: e.g. on-site gas heating) 47 30 21 39 31
Scope 2 (Indirect energy: e.g. electricity) 68 85 77 77 69
Scope 3 (Other indirect: e.g. travel***) 841 739 852 731 867
Total gross emissions 957 854 951 846 967
Average full-time equivalents (FTE) 94 98 109 110 124
Per FTE annual emissions 10.2 8.7 8.7 7.7 7.8
% annual change n/a -15% 0% -12% 2%
Target (2.5% reduction p.a. on base year) 10.2 9.9 9.7 9.4 9.2
% difference from target n/a -12% -10% -18% -15%

* Based on our sites and the activities of our staff, this measure excludes our suppliers and partners. Our footprint is measured in accordance with Defra's 2016 emissions factors and guidelines, which is consistent with the GHG Protocol.

** Tonnes of CO2e is a universal unit of measurement used to indicate the global warming potential of a greenhouse gas, expressed in terms of the global warming potential of one unit of carbon dioxide.

** Air travel emissions take into account the effect of radiative forcing (the effect of water vapour and nitrous oxides in the upper atmosphere) and therefore an uplift factor of 1.89 has been used in accordance with Defra guidelines.

Note: Some of the figures for 2015/16 were corrected in February 2020.

Anti-fraud and bribery, whistleblower policies

IIED is committed to preventing fraud and bribery, and has a commitment to zero tolerance of fraud and bribery from its staff and partners. Our anti-fraud and bribery policy is available from our Publications Library.

IIED is committed to conducting business with honesty and integrity, and we expect all staff to maintain high standards. We promote a culture of openness and accountability. Our whistleblowing policy is designed to encourage staff to report suspected wrongdoings as soon as possible, in the knowledge that their concerns will be taken seriously and investigated as appropriate, and that their confidentiality will be respected. Read our whistleblowing policy.

Previous years

Related resources

Further reading