Founded in 2008, IEc’s Green Committee includes employees trained in GHG accounting who track the environmental impact of our facilities and operations and promote initiatives to reduce our impact. In accordance with IEc’s Sustainability Policy, we are committed to:
- Pursuing alternative transportation, energy efficiency, waste minimization, and recycling measures in our workplace;
- Measuring and managing our carbon footprint; and
- Engaging employees to advance sustainability at work, at home, and in our community.
Workplace Sustainability
IEc’s office is located in the Henderson Carriage building, a renovated historic building in a section of Cambridge that is accessible by multiple modes of transit. To promote alternative transportation use, IEc employees can pay for certain commuting expenses on a pre-tax basis and have access to discounted Bluebikes and Zipcar memberships. IEc also offers on-site EV charging for employees.
Within our office space, IEc promotes energy efficiency with an open floor plan that takes advantage of natural daylight and efficient lighting fixtures throughout. IEc has installed LED lights and high efficiency appliances. Our dishwashers and fridges are EnergyStar certified and rated for minimal water consumption. During our most recent renovation, we prioritized reusing existing furniture and donated the rest to nonprofits. We specified sustainably certified materials during our renovation for drywall, smooth flooring, carpet, and paint.
IEc strives to reduce our environmental footprint through aggressive waste minimization and recycling measures. In 2024, IEc generated an estimated 1.5 tons of waste. To minimize waste, IEc provides reusable dishware and kitchen towels for employees’ use and gives each new hire a reusable water bottle and tote bag. In addition, IEc recycles paper, cardboard, plastic bags, and plastic, glass, and metal containers; composts food waste and paper towels; and works with local companies to reuse or safely recycle electronic waste from work and home. IEc has water bottle filling stations, including options for carbonated and flavored waters, to minimize employee use of single use beverages. Finally, IEc has modernized administrative process to greatly reduce paper use.
Carbon Footprint
IEc is carbon neutral for our office operations (Scopes 1 and 2), and we purchase high quality carbon offsets to neutralize business travel and employee commuting emissions (Scope 3 categories).
To achieve neutrality for Scope 2 emissions, IEc participates in our utility’s renewable power program and purchases Build New RECs, which fund the development of new, small scale renewable energy projects in New England. IEc has no Scope 1 emissions.
IEc calculates our full GHG footprint annually by tracking Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Since IEc is carbon neutral for Scopes 1 and 2, Scope 3 comprises all of IEc’s emissions. Since 2023, we have calculated our Scope 3 emissions from all applicable Scope 3 categories, including business travel, employee commuting, goods and services, capital goods, energy impacts, and waste. Goods and services, including subcontracting, dominate our Scope 3 impacts, which is typical for consulting firms.
In 2024, IEc experienced an eight percent increase in our total (Scope 3) emissions, from 948 MTCO2e in 2023 to 1,026 MTCO2e in 2024, driven primarily by an increase in purchased goods and services as well as increased employee commuting. IEc purchased high quality carbon credits through Cloverly to offset Scope 3 emissions related to employee commuting and business travel; these carbon credits offset approximately 12 percent of IEc’s Scope 3 footprint.
Employee Engagement
IEc encourages employees to pursue sustainability at home and in our community. We sponsor a series of employee-led “skill shares” on how to integrate more environmentally friendly practices into everyday activities. Examples of recent skill shares include finding and purchasing from local food Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) co-ops, cooking with local ingredients, eco-friendly shopping, clothes mending, gardening, and composting. In 2024, IEc also held an on-site clothing swap.