Inter-American Development Bank Sustainability Report 2019

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Date issued
Apr 2020
Sustainability is a core element of the IDBs work. Long-term economic growth, and the reduction of poverty and inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean depend on development that is economically, financially, environmentally, socially, and institutionally sustainable.
The IDBs Sustainability Report details our integrated approach to sustainability, our greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of our lending portfolio, our assessment of disaster and climate change risk in our projects, and the achievements of our corporate sustainability program.
A new theme is selected for the report each year. Based on an IDB-wide call for inputs, we showcase selected operations and research that the IDB financed to contribute to the advancement of the sustainable development of the region. The 2019 SR focuses on how the bank supports the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in building their resilience - the ability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from threats with minimal damage to social well-being, the economy, and the environment. This includes work on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
The geographic location of the LAC region makes it susceptible to natural disasters, including hurricanes, landslides, droughts, and earthquakes. Some of these events will become more frequent and intense due to climate change. Disasters disproportionately affect the poor and LAC remains the most unequal region in the world. Therefore, building resilience is critical to fight inequality and avoid setbacks for development.
In addition, this report is complemented by a Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Annex. The GRI sets global standards for sustainability reporting, relying on best practices for reporting on a range of economic, environmental, and social impacts.