Buy Clean California Act Creates Incentive to Cut Carbon Emissions by Requiring EPDs Posted February 28, 2018 by Julie Sinistore Background In 2017, California Governor Jerry Brown signed the Buy Clean California Act (AB 262) into law which encourages greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions associated with state infrastructure projects. AB 262 requires state agencies to consider embedded carbon from the production of construction materials, such as rebar, during contracting for Read More
Key Changes to the 2018 CDP Water Security Questionnaire Posted February 21, 2018 by Zoey Kriete With the release of the 2018 CDP Water Security questionnaire, CDP continues to raise the bar on water stewardship disclosure and performance. This year, CDP has made a number of modifications to the questionnaire including an updated title in response to changing trends in sustainability reporting and increasing investor interest Read More
FIVE SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY TRENDS TO WATCH IN 2018 Posted February 8, 2018 by Jordan Chamberlain What’s in store for 2018? We’ve highlighted five trends we expect to see in the coming year. We hope this summary helps keep a pulse on what’s new and inspires you to further explore these and other emerging trends. Increased transparency around the financial risks posed by climate change The Read More
What do the Task force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure Recommendations mean for your organization? Posted January 24, 2018 by Jordan Chamberlain The Task force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD; Task Force) was formed by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) in 2015 in response to: the potential threat that climate change posed to the global financial system; and a lack of transparent, consistent and high-quality financial information related to the potential risks Read More
2018 CDP Climate Change Questionnaire: Influence of the TCFD and other Key Changes Posted January 8, 2018 by Zoey Kriete Following the financial crisis in the late 2000’s, the G20 established the Financial Stability Board (FSB) to identify and mitigate threats to the global financial system. In 2015 the FSB, led by New York City’s former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and comprised of members from global banking institutions, insurance companies, institutional Read More
Supplier Sustainability Assessments: Using EcoVadis to Report on Performance Posted December 7, 2017 by Kealy Herman Guidance on how to streamline your EcoVadis response and maximize your score. As supplier sustainability evaluation tools proliferate, WSP is being asked more and more which tools and frameworks to use and the reasons why. EcoVadis is one tool that can be used by customers to assess their supply chain Read More
Water stewardship in the supply chain – moving beyond the tip of the iceberg Posted October 11, 2017 by Stefanie Woodward As interest in water stewardship grows, sustainable management of an organization’s direct water footprint is becoming increasingly common. Organizations of all types, from technology to financial services to academia, are taking the first steps in their water stewardship journeys. The first step in sustainable water management is getting your house Read More
The Sustainability Reporting Landscape Posted August 7, 2017 by Jordan Chamberlain In 2016, 1,089 companies responded to investor requests to report greenhouse gas (GHG) data through CDP Climate Change. This number has been steadily rising year-over-year, increasing ten-fold since 2010. As investor and consumer awareness on climate change continues to increase, organizations can expect to see new reporting frameworks and standards Read More
Launching a New Name and a New Logo Posted May 11, 2017 by suzimein The next chapter in the history of our firm begins with a new name – WSP USA – and a mandate to set the firm apart from others in our industry. Known as WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff since the acquisition of Parsons Brinckerhoff by WSP in 2014, the firm will unite Read More
The Do’s and Don’ts of Sustainable Supply Chain Engagement Posted May 3, 2017 by Kealy Herman Sustainability now has been at the forefront for several years, and as companies have become more adept at managing their own environmental impact, they are beginning to ask their suppliers to do the same. Many companies have programs, goals or targets, measurement tools, and performance indices. But aside from broad Read More
Navigating the Science-Based Target Updates Posted April 19, 2017 by Eric Christensen In advance of the 21st Conference of the Parties in Paris (COP21) many companies recognized the need to reconsider past greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals, transitioning to more aggressive science-based goals that align with climate science and show strong commitment to reduce global warming. According to the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), Read More
Making the most of your 2017 CDP Climate Change response Posted April 11, 2017 by Jordan Chamberlain CDP is an international nonprofit working to transform the way organizations respond to climate change issues and natural resource degradation. Backed by 827 institutional investors with $100 trillion in assets during the 2016 disclosure cycle, CDP holds the largest collection of voluntarily reported climate change, forest, and water data in Read More
The Art of Sustainability Goal Setting Posted April 3, 2017 by Kealy Herman When discussing setting sustainability goals among our team, many clients simply want “the answer.” There are tools that allow you to provide key information and produce a numerical target. You could take that number and run with it… but you shouldn’t. Understand your motivation Setting sustainability goals can and should Read More
World Water Day 2017 and Wastewater Posted March 22, 2017 by Stefanie Woodward Every year on World Water Day the United Nations, governments, companies and individuals focus their attention on how best to address the world’s pressing water issues. This year, the theme of World Water Day is wastewater. Access to safe water is a key issue in the fight to eradicate poverty, Read More
The evolution of GRI reporting Posted March 8, 2017 by Josh Nothwang The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is an international nonprofit founded in the early 1990’s that provides structure and guidance for sustainability reports published by business, government, and other organizations. GRI’s standards address topics across the sustainability spectrum, from climate change and water management to human rights and incidents of corruption. Read More
CDP’s Supplier Engagement Rating – What You Need to Know Posted February 2, 2017 by Jessica Lab On January 24, CDP released its Global Supply Chain Report 2017, Missing link: Harnessing the power of purchasing for a sustainable future. This report presents the results of the 2016 CDP supply chain reporting year. CDP supply chain is a program designed to help buyers understand and manage climate-related risks, opportunities Read More
Five Sustainability and Energy Trends to Watch in 2017 Posted January 9, 2017 by Jordan Chamberlain What’s in store for 2017? We’ve compiled five trends that will be on the move (some quite literally) in the coming year. We hope this list inspires you to explore developing sustainability trends and helps keep a pulse on happenings in this space. Advancing greenhouse gas (GHG) goal setting to Read More
An Introduction to Green Power Procurement Posted December 27, 2016 by Dan Sobrinski Green power is becoming an essential component of leading sustainability programs. Developing a strategy for green power procurement will help ensure that companies define and achieve their objectives in an efficient and cost-effective way. Seven distinct green power procurement options are explored in our white paper Green Power Procurement – Read More
