Our Approach
Differences across regions and countries make the footprint of each IFC office unique. We aim to have a localized footprint plan in each office, adapting to staff size and local concerns.
We also recognize the need to actively monitor our global footprint by collecting annual footprint data from all offices. This enables us to institute corporate-wide changes and set priorities and goals, while at the same time supporting each office's efforts to contribute to the Corporation's collective goals.
Prior to 2007, IFC's corporate footprint strategy focused on our largest facility in Washington, DC, which captures more than half of our total staff. As of 2007, 49% of our offices worldwide — including the 20 largest — have collected baseline data on their environmental and social footprint and are looking at ways to improve their impacts. We have also begun distilling lessons and best practices as we address similar issues in many of our other offices. A corporate priority for 2009 is to continue to expand and deepen IFC's footprint goals in our regions and country offices.
The Footprint Program is built around four key elements:
- Footprint Team - At the center of our efforts is a group of dedicated staff representing IFC's management as well as every department and country office. This team is responsible for developing and implementing the corporate and office-level workplan.
- Awards Program - Another important element is recognizing staff and offices that best exemplify our Footprint Commitment through an awards program.
- Reporting - Annual reporting of our corporate footprint was introduced in 2004 as a fundamental element of our corporate responsibility efforts. Reporting helps us to understand the impacts of IFC's business operations on the environments and communities where we have offices, and it informs the future strategy of the Footprint Program. It is also how we communicate our progress to stakeholders, such as our investors, clients, NGOs, Board, and staff.
