A look inside: How IPC manages its own environmental footprint

In our previous posts under the #investinourplanet campaign, we've showcased how IPC helps partners mobilize financing for clean energy investments, de-risk their portfolios, and manage their own environmental and social risks.????

Today, we're shifting the focus to our environmental management practices. As a consulting firm, we are committed to practising what we preach in terms of mitigation and adaptation measures.?

A journey of improvement: Environmental principles and initiatives?

As with any business, IPC impacts the environment through its operations. In our case, as a global consulting firm, our work requires that we travel frequently and maintain office space in multiple locations worldwide.??

Recognizing that environmental management is a journey of improvement, we use the PDCA framework to guide us in this process:??

1. *Plan*: Identify environmental impacts, set objectives, and create an action plan.?
2. *Do*: Execute the plan by training employees, establishing processes, and implementing controls.?
3. *Check*: Monitor the results to identify areas of improvement.?
4. *Act*: Implement necessary changes and improvements.?

Specifically, here are some of the areas we’ve addressed in our environmental management efforts:?

• Limiting air travel: We limit air travel as much as possible and have seen a sharp increase in the use of remote-conferencing solutions in our client engagements.??
• Traveling by train: Within Germany and neighbouring countries, we conduct business travel only by train and have reduced commuting by integrating hybrid working arrangements across the company.?
• Using renewable energy: Since 2015, we've partnered with green electricity supplier Lichtblick to ensure that our German offices are powered by renewable energy.?
• Heating efficiently: Recognizing that heating and cooling account for almost 50% of the EU’s energy consumption, we ensure that our Frankfurt office is in a BREEAM-certified building, minimizing heating requirements.?
• Reducing paper use: Since 2014, we've used recycled paper, reduced physical archives, and sought to transition to electronic documents (e.g. for invoices, proposals, reports) wherever possible.??
• Sourcing sustainably: Over 95% of the office products used at IPC’s head office come from sources or suppliers certified for sustainability or ecological soundness.?
• Increasing employee awareness: Every year, IPC's standing environmental management committee reports to all colleagues on the company's environmental performance. All new employees learn about IPC's environmental management system as a part of their onboarding process.?

For example, in some cases, air travel is simply unavoidable if we are to adequately serve our clients and complete the work our clients entrust to us. Sometimes, there truly is no substitute for face-to-face meetings and physical presence.??

For these cases, IPC invests in carbon credits to offset unavoidable emissions. This investment supports Gold standard-certified environmental projects worldwide that not only contribute towards climate protection but also towards several verified Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).??

Taking steps: big and small?

IPC celebrates 8 years of continuous ISO 14001 compliance this year, reflecting our dedication to implementing a robust Environmental Management System (EMS).?

We believe every business has a responsibility to contribute to a sustainable future. We hope you enjoyed this look at our sustainability journey!?