Partnership IDFC x Carbone 4: Launch of the IDFC CarboMeter

A web-based tool developed to measure the carbon footprint of infrastructure projects

The International Development Finance Club (IDFC), composed of more than 25 development banks worldwide (e.g. Brazil, Colombia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Morocco, Turkey, etc.), needed in 2024 to equip itself with a common carbon footprint measurement tool across its network to assess the impact of their infrastructure project financing. As Carbone 4 has been working for more than 15 years on the carbon impact of infrastructure (induced emissions, avoided emissions, Paris Agreement <2°C alignment), the IDFC x Carbone 4 partnership was established.

Drawing on its expertise and extensive experience with infrastructure and development banks, Carbone 4 was able to address IDFC’s dual need:

To provide a shared methodology specifically tailored to infrastructure
To develop the tool in the form of a web-based platform

The development of the methodology and tool by Carbone 4 took one year and followed three main steps:

Interviews with IDFC member development banks to collect their needs and expectations regarding the methodology (e.g., PCAF alignment, geographical coverage, infrastructure scope) and platform functionalities (e.g., data collection, sector-level consolidation, results download)
Development of the methodology and the web-based tool, named IDFC CarboMeter
Iterative testing of the platform with IDFC member development banks to refine and improve the tool

A common tool to ensure consistency and comparability

The IDFC CarboMeter was created to meet the dual need expressed by IDFC members: having a harmonized methodology and a shared platform to assess direct emissions (Scope 1), indirect energy-related emissions (Scope 2), and other indirect emissions (Scope 3) from financed projects.

The objective is to enable development banks to compare results, share best practices, and steer their climate strategies on a common basis.

Broad and evolving sectoral coverage

The IDFC CarboMeter already covers 80 types of infrastructure assets: energy, buildings, mobility, water, waste, digital infrastructure, health, education, and more. Users can create portfolios, input financial and physical data for each project, and generate detailed and consolidated carbon footprint reports at different levels (asset, portfolio, country, region, sector).

The tool is designed to evolve: it will be regularly updated with new functionalities, methodological improvements, and refreshed emission factor databases, ensuring alignment with international standards and the evolving needs of IDFC members.

A collective momentum for climate action

The launch of the IDFC CarboMeter marks a major milestone for the IDFC community. It reflects the shared ambition of development banks to strengthen climate transparency and better manage their environmental impacts.

Members interested in discovering the tool can request a demonstration from the development team: