List of top 100 UK private firms includes enviro consultancy providers

An annual ranking of the country's largest private companies by The Sunday Times includes two organisations that provide environmental consultancy services – Mott MacDonald and Arup. More prevalent in the top 100 list are companies that have been long-standing clients of environmental consultancies, such as water utilities, construction contractors and infrastructure and residential developers.

The annual ranking exercise rates companies according to latest available sales figures and, thus, is biased toward high volume businesses, such as wholesalers and retailers. Nevertheless, two companies with environmental consultancy divisions are included, Mott MacDonald, ranked at 50, and Arup, at 68.

Mott MacDonald is described by The Sunday Times as a “management, engineering and development consultancy”, owned by its 13,000 employees and having generated £913 million in sales in 2008.

Similarly, Arup is owned by its 9,000 employees. The company is described as an engineering consultancy whose sales reached £726 million last year.

Other organisations included in the top 100 list and often viewed, in some way, as being part of an environmental business community include European Metal Recycling (ranked 11), several water utilities or companies that own water companies (Anglian, Thames, Southern and Kelda) and waste firm Biffa. Several large construction firms are also included, with Laing O'Rourke leading, ranked at six.

• The Sunday Times Top Track 100: Britain biggest private companies