Black & Veatch Launches New Environmental Business Unit
New organization focuses company’s vast experience in delivering environmental solutions as clients seek environmental science, regulatory, climate and sustainability solutions
As enterprises thoughtfully work to meet environmental objectives from regulators, shareholders and consumers, Black & Veatch announces the launch of a dedicated environmental business unit to support those objectives.
Black & Veatch’s centralization of its environmental services offerings comes as the world gets more complicated and companies, utilities and governments navigate operational challenges linked to regulatory hurdles and a rising tide of ambitious sustainability commitments, requiring new levels of innovation and expertise that deliver timely solutions. A business or project increasingly must account for environmental concerns, with regulations, finances and consumers often driving those considerations. When those forces intersect, the "right" environmental answer no longer is as clear as when the goal was simply regulatory adherence.
As a newly chartered, dedicated Black & Veatch business unit, the environmental team brings together dedicated scientists, consultants, and specialized ecological compliance and permitting experts capable of providing direct service to clients of various scale. Drawing upon the skills of nearly 10,000 Black & Veatch professionals worldwide, the team will pursue emerging opportunities in environmental consulting and environmental science services, in addition to an expanded array of traditional permitting, site inspection, air quality and noise capability solutions. By transitioning to the new organization, the team will focus its deep knowledge on helping stakeholders overcome complexities and reduce program costs.
Black & Veatch offers more than 80 environmental services across several prominent disciplines, including air quality, site remediation, management, compliance, science and other transformational areas. Solving problems in a rapidly accelerating market, the team will provide trusted guidance on such matters as climate change, earth sciences, and environmental management and compliance, bolstering a client’s risk assessments, resiliency planning, sustainable development, air quality, water security, crisis management and emergency planning.
“The establishment of this new business unit allows us to accelerate progress on our strategic priorities and lead change with our clients, helping them achieve their environmental goals,” said Steve Edwards, Black & Veatch’s CEO. “Environmental services support our commitment to a sustainable future, and with the needs and efforts around the globe accelerating, this will help us continue to be the most innovative and rapidly evolving company in the engineering and construction space.”
“From regulatory permitting challenges to community impacts and sustainability concerns, companies and projects large and small must navigate ever-evolving environmental considerations or face the prospect of delays, work stoppages or cancellation,” added Lisa Fewins, the environmental business unit’s managing director. “With decades of environmental services experience, Black & Veatch works with our clients to develop and execute thoughtful, effective approaches that minimize reputational and business risks.”
Ranked 14th on the Engineering News-Record’s latest list of top environmental firms, Black & Veatch has provided environmental solutions since its inception in 1915 and has become an industry leader in emerging topics such as the development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and renewable energy solutions involving solar and wind energy. The company also is helping advance sustainability and environmental goals for mining companies, data center providers and many more industries.
“With our unique expertise forged by more than a century of solving the world’s biggest and most complex infrastructure problems, we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and marshal the trusted, high-level thinking that helps clients achieve their customized and pressing project execution goals,” said Dave Johnson, the environmental business unit’s development leader.
Reflecting the company’s own commitment to sustainability, Black & Veatch announced in November that it is strengthening its sustainability vision with new pledges that align with the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and global best practices by addressing a range of environmental and business practices. Those include goals addressing carbon neutrality by 2025, water usage, diversity and inclusion, anti-corruption and more.
Separately, the company also recently announced that it is ending its participation in coal-based power design and construction to focus on clean energy technologies and helping clients accelerate their path to net zero.Editor’s Notes:
Brent Ferren, Black & Veatch’s global engineering leader in specialized services areas, will serve as the environmental group’s director of operations.
For more information about our Environmental Services Group, please visit www.bv.com/services/environmental
In December, Black & Veatch received the “Industry Driving Social Impact Award” from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and Engineering for Change, given the company’s efforts to achieve the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals. Judges specifically cited Black & Veatch’s efforts to deliver the Escondida Water Supply project, one of South America’s biggest, most complex desalination infrastructure projects; its enabling of hydrogen as a critical global decarbonization component; and its innovation and development of microgrids, which promise new resilience, reliability and sustainability levels.
About Black & Veatch
Black & Veatch is an employee-owned engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people in over 100 countries by addressing the resilience and reliability of our world's most important infrastructure assets. Our revenues in 2019 were US$3.7 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.
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