Corporate Social Responsibility
The IMF is mitigating the impact of its operations on the environment and elevated its commitment to environmental sustainability this past year with the following achievements:
- Earned International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 20121 Certification for sustainable events for the Spring and Annual Meetings held on the IMF’s Washington, DC, campus.
- Reduced the environmental impact of IMF staff commuting by increasing the number of electric vehicle and bike chargers; enhancing shower and locker facilities for bikers, runners, and walkers; increasing incentives for use of public transportation and bike sharing; and facilitating carpooling.
- Increased use of digital formats for conveying information to staff and visitors, thus eliminating the use of paper and printer ink.
- Continued efforts with suppliers and service providers to strengthen the sustainability of the supply chain for goods and services.
With operations back to normal following the pandemic, the IMF staff has returned to headquarters and field offices, and mission travel has fully resumed. As a result, the IMF’s carbon footprint increased significantly relative to 2022 but remained just below the prepandemic low recorded in 2019.
Despite progress to date, there is both a need and a strong case for a more ambitious agenda to address emissions from IMF operations and further strengthen the institution’s commitment to green operations in accordance with the IMF’s climate change strategy. Work is ongoing on the development of a strategy to reduce the environmental footprint and impact of the IMF’s operations in support of the Paris Agreement, while maintaining the ability to effectively serve the membership.
Figure 3.2
Greenhouse Gas Emissions, total and per IMF Employee (Calendar Years 2010—23)
Total estimated emissions in 2023 have reached 98% of the pre-pandemic emissions levels of 2019, while per employee emissions are about 10% lower than in 2019.
Source: IMF, "Annual Environmental Sustainability Report" 2023.
Note: MtCO2e = metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent.
Giving Together
Giving Together, the IMF’s philanthropic program, is supported by donations from employees and retirees, as well as by corporate matching funds.
Last year witnessed multiple crises—including a devastating earthquake in Morocco, climate-related deadly floods in Libya, the conflict in the Middle East, Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, and a continued rise in the cost of living—all of which have compounded the challenges faced by people around the world.
The IMF responded to these challenges with tremendous support in FY 2024. Total donations from employees and retirees, IMF corporate matching, and Giving Together grants and donations resulted in the program providing a grand total of $5.1 million to charitable causes during the financial year.
Annual Staff and Retiree Giving
In FY 2024, IMF employees and retiree donations and corporate matching totaled $4.9 million (see Figure 3.3). This includes the Fall Giving Campaign and year-round giving, as well as donations made for humanitarian and disaster relief campaigns.
Fall Giving Campaign
62 percent of staff members contributed to the FY 2024 “Together for Every Child” giving campaign – focused on supporting non-profits helping children around the world. Together with retirees, IMF staff raised $3.4 million in donations and matching funds to support organizations in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and across the globe.
Humanitarian and Disaster Relief
The IMF’s Giving Together program organized fundraisers to support humanitarian and disaster relief efforts in Gaza, Israel, Libya, Morocco, and Yemen, which together raised $592,000 (including the corporate match).
These contributions were channeled to international relief organizations providing critical aid and support to affected children and families on the ground in these countries.
Grants and Corporate Donations
The IMF supports community initiatives in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area through partnerships and annual grants. In FY 2024, the Giving Together program awarded 18 grants and corporate donations to charitable organizations in the Washington, DC metropolitan area amounting to $227,500.
Figure 3.3
Employee and Retiree Donations and Matching Funds, FYs 2016–24
(US dollars)
IMF, Communications Department
Among the recipients of the Giving Together Program in FY 2024
raised to support humanitarian and disaster relief efforts
in grants and corporate donations, all of which was channeled to
organizations across
continents
Volunteering
The Giving Together program organizes staff volunteering events in partnership with charities and supports staff-led volunteering initiatives throughout the year.
On June 2, 2023, in recognition of World Environment Day, Deputy Managing Director Bo Li, together with IMF staff, volunteered his time to help clean up parkland in a local community in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The volunteering event was organized by the IMF’s Giving Together program and the IMF Green Team in partnership with Ward 8 Woods Conservancy, a Washington, DC, nonprofit that works to rejuvenate and enhance the beauty, ecological health, and public enjoyment of more than 500 acres of forest.
In October 2023, at the time of the IMF–World Bank 2023 Annual Meetings in Marrakech... Morocco, the IMF Giving Together team organized a volunteering event in Marrakech to help people affected by the devastating earthquake in Morocco. The volunteering event was hosted in collaboration with Project Soar, a local Moroccan non-profit whose mission is to empower teenage girls to be the leaders of today and tomorrow. Over 200 IMF and World Bank staff members, including the Managing Director and First Deputy Managing Director, packed 625 disaster relief hygiene kits that were distributed to earthquake victims.
In January 2024, in honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, IMF staff participated in a volunteering event organized by the Giving Together program in partnership with Miriam’s Kitchen, a Washington, DC, nonprofit committed to providing healthy meals, social services and permanent supportive housing for unhoused people in the Washington, DC, area. IMF staff assembled seasonal kits and snack packs containing necessities including socks, blankets, and food to help people without homes.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Diversity and Inclusion Office presented the FY 2022–23 “Diversity and Inclusion Report” to the Executive Board in February 2024. The update included a summary of the IMF’s progress toward the 2025 benchmarks, key initiatives undertaken since the FY 2020–21 report, and actions planned for the next two years. The shares of staff from underrepresented regions at the individual contributor and managerial levels continues to increase. Several initiatives are being implemented to sustain progress toward the FY 2025 benchmarks, including continued focus on diversity considerations for internal staff selections. Externally, recruitment efforts have continued to broaden the IMF’s reach, bringing in diverse and highly skilled talent though targeted searches, a focus on an expanded range of skills, and an extensive schedule of virtual and in-person engagements. The IMF is committed to diversity and inclusion and continues to make good progress on gender representation, particularly at the most senior levels, where women represent over one-third of heads of departments. The IMF is expanding the scope of its efforts to provide an accessible and inclusive work environment for all, including staff with disabilities.
