News analysis

The UK’s social value model for public sector procurement, strengthened by new legislation, will underpin investment programmes whichever party wins the election. Its influence is spreading across the world, as a way of levering social and environmental sustainability gains into government spending.

A once-in-a-generation expansion of Britain’s electricity grid, worth £58bn, is being delivered through a new partnership model. The energy systems work is multidecadal, and its delivery will be complicated and challenging, finds EA.

Companies should be doing more to assess water-related supply chain risks and engage with suppliers to manage them, says global disclosure organisation CDP.

Where sustainability is concerned, the construction industry does not rate highly. Environmental and design consultancies are playing a major role in making the sector’s rich data resource accessible for practical action.

In the second instalment of this special series, Environment Analyst examines how consultancies are responding internally to the complex challenges of climate change mitigation and measuring their wider sustainability impacts.

Environment Analyst delves into the latest crop of annual ESG and sustainability reports from professional service firms to assess progress in climate action and disclosure, as the march towards science-based net zero continues.

Reducing carbon emissions from the built environment requires a move away from silo-based carbon counting towards a circular, whole systems approach, or the ‘super cities’ of the future risk being environmental disasters.

Environment & new energy business helps drive AECOM's record backlog. Jacobs firms up spin-out deal to concentrate on high-end climate & sustainable infrastructure solutions. Both confident in FY24 expectations.

EA report finds accelerating market growth, supported by vibrant M&A scene and ratcheting green finance streams. The ‘Great Reshuffle’ has brought climate and sustainability factors to the forefront of client projects and investment programmes, as well as internal competitor strategies.

A major global corporate attitude survey undertaken by AECOM reveals the factors motivating or blocking action on the energy transition at senior executive level.

A milestone report from the National Infrastructure Commission has strong words for the government on project overspend, policy u-turns and net zero apathy.

We caught up with Gert Vermeiren, MD for environment, water and energy – Europe & India, at AECOM, to discuss the opportunities and complex challenges facing the UK in delivering a low-carbon future.

Industry-first database will provide detailed carbon estimating and breakdown calculations for UK infrastructure projects as an open-access benchmark tool. 

Windfarm connection project proposed 15 years ago, finally reaches early stages of planning approval.

Scope 3 represents industry’s single greatest opportunity to make a significant reduction in our greenhouse gas (ghg) emissions. AECOM's Robert Spencer and Ryan Burrows share their expertise on how to address the scope 3 challenge.

Leading environmental & sustainability consultants present case studies and recommendations to assist organisations in navigating the complex world of ESG and sustainability integration.

Integrated research environment and programme management focus are expected to deliver sustainable infrastructure solutions.

Roles will be offered for ESG consultants, landscape architects, bridge engineers, and energy project managers.

Spring budget prioritises nuclear power and carbon capture but offers nothing on renewables, hydrogen, energy efficiency, heat pumps or EV charging infrastructure.

New division was created from AECOM’s environment, ground engineering and water division last September.

Richard Lowe, AECOM’s energy sector lead, talks to Environmental Analyst about prospects for carbon capture in the UK and its role in the net zero transformation for British industry.

International design, engineering, science and risk management consultancy BMT becomes the twelfth member of Environment Analyst’s Sustainability Delivery Group, as our new ESG-focused working group also debuts.

Firm joins AECOM in preparing ground for the Keadby 3 gas turbine project on the river Trent, part of the Humber Zero plan.

Consulting giant’s FY22 results show growth in operating margins and net service revenue, despite slight drop in group gross revenues.

Could National Highways’ largest ever engineering project fall foul of budget pressures and environmental concerns?

Analysis: The economy has been battered, the policy environment is conflicted. Environment Analyst talked to senior figures from Atkins, AECOM and Mott MacDonald about trading in confusing times.

EA’s latest industry data and research report reveals emergence of the sector's own ‘big four’ as environmental & sustainability consulting market sees record M&A activity and solid post-COVID recovery. 

Environmental & sustainability early career professionals have their say on sector entry routes, job satisfaction, retention and the skills crisis in Environment Analyst’s latest survey.

Winners include Jacobs for transforming its internal net zero and sustainability performance; WSP’s game-changing acquisition of Golder; and RIO ESG’s role in developing an innovative AI-enabled ESG ratings platform

Environment Analyst’s Top 100 report identifies the largest E&S consultancies operating globally in 2020/21.