Sustainability

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria are driving significant regulatory change and influencing business and investment decisions in all sectors and industries, from local governments and manufacturers to transportation and utilities. Our proven approach assists with identifying and critically evaluating opportunities to apply sustainable concepts in efficient, cost-effective ways. We deliver positive and resilient implementation plans and execute projects that represent your own sustainability commitment to help your organization track and meet ESG goals.

The increasing focus on our circular economy puts the responsibility squarely on all of us to become stewards of our resources, using efficient processes and incorporating solutions that deliver positive contributions to society. Sustainability goes beyond air, water and waste. It also encompasses products and upstream/downstream sources. For organizations to accomplish their sustainability goals, a holistic and systems-thinking approach is necessary for success.

Sustainability Services Across the Spectrum

We help our clients with:

• Water resources. We assist in finding water supply, management and treatment solutions that address sustainability concerns. Our experience in engineering and environmental compliance allows us to design and construct wetland treatment systems, stormwater management networks, and industrial and municipal water recycling and reuse facilities. We also conduct modeling and mapping for aquifer recharge and water footprint studies.
• Energy. We are a single point of contact for energy diversification and storage projects, helping to provide reliable power that meets sustainability goals. Energy diversification opportunities include solar, wind, hydro, biomass, biofuels, biochemicals, renewable natural gas, electrification, hydrogen and ammonia. In such emerging markets as transportation electrification, we work with utilities, transit agencies and fleet operators to find realistic, sustainable and actionable solutions based on data.
• Materials management. Our team helps with everything from materials processing to development of zero waste plans. Our services include solid waste and materials management plans, recyclable materials sourcing, and procurement of materials recovery services. We specialize in characterization of waste to determine materials processing, composting and recycling program design.
• Sustainability and ESG planning. We help you identify, prioritize and implement sustainability initiatives, including goal setting and tracking. Our services include: sustainability orientation and workforce education; current and future state analyses; gap analyses; reporting framework selection; environmental performance improvement strategies; and project development for carbon reductions and credits.
• Greenhouse gas and air emissions. Our team conducts greenhouse gas (GHG) and criteria pollutant emissions accounting and prepares reduction strategies. We provide reporting for industry compliance and sustainability frameworks, evaluating Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions. We handle permitting, emissions control and regulatory evaluations, modeling for impacts to sensitive populations and environmental justice analyses, and predictions of emissions for offsets as part of net zero plans.
• Ecological protection and restoration. We help with regulatory compliance for federal, state and local regulations. Nationwide, we develop project-specific environmental strategies to avoid, minimize and mitigate environmental impacts. We design, build and monitor ecological restoration sites, wetland mitigation projects and species-specific conservation initiatives.
• Remediation. Our work routinely includes optimizing the environmental impact of remediation programs using best management practices (BMPs) to make judicious use of limited resources. Our holistic approach considers sustainability early in the planning process to incorporate those BMPs into all phases, from site investigation through remedy selection, construction and operation of treatment systems through closeout.
• Stakeholder involvement. Successful stakeholder engagement is essential to achieving sustainability goals, whether for a first ESG report or a strategic plan in place for a decade. We help engage stakeholders through multiple channels, including public outreach, community engagement, media relations and strategic communications. Our team assists with environmental justice analysis and provides successful project execution.
• Sustainable siting and development. We provide studies and documentation to achieve project approvals through the realm of federal, state, local and utility commission regulations. Environmental impact statements (EIS), environmental assessments (EAs) and route selection studies are often the first step toward project construction, and we assist in selection and development of sites that minimize environmental impacts and create opportunities for sustainable operations. Our experience includes renewable siting projects, battery storage projects, brownfield development and construction permitting.
• Climate solutions. Our experience includes preparing clients for climate change and cleaning up after natural disasters. We help build climate resilience through: forecasting flood plain and sea level changes; meteorology and modeling; land, forestry management and master planning; water availability studies and reuse evaluations; groundwater modeling and restoration; and vegetation replanting. Our emergency response specialists assist with environmental events​ and disaster cleanup.