Our Experience

Client: The operator of a new 800+km, €multi-billion energy infrastructure link to Europe

Scope: Interface and technical advisory support on the completion and implementation of a livelihood project involving over 40,000 land users/owners and biodiversity affected by the infrastructure project including a post construction monitoring program and biodiversity restoration programs.

Lenders financing the project included the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), European Investment Bank (EIB), several European export credit agencies, and number of commercial banks.

Client: A large diversified energy company

Scope: Adaptation and integration of existing corporate sustainability and carbon aims into new multi-billion-euro capital investment plans.

The work involved working with the front-end engineering concept selection and existing asset operation teams to ensure carbon and sustainability goals were at the forefront of investment decisions, including preliminary engineering and design.

Client: A multi-national energy developer and operator

Scope: Design and development of a compliance framework and supporting assurance and reporting tool to support a multi-billion-euro capital investment. The scope included the client and its Tier 1 Contractors with brown and greenfield work associated with expansion of existing facilities.

Development of the custom compliance framework involved extensive research and interpretation of national legislation and was designed to consolidate the developer’s corporate and existing country polices, national regulations and applicable international standards

The compliance framework and assurance tool were also adopted by the client at corporate level as best practice for capital investment projects across the globe.

Client: A cross-European energy infrastructure operator

Scope: Design, development and implementation of a Sustainability Licence to Operate (LtO) management system to support achieving and subsequently maintaining regulatory approvals for compliant commissioning, start-up and operation of a new international €multi-billion asset. The approach involved collaboration with in-Country regulatory and permitting specialists and resulted in delivery of:

• Recommendations for an organisational structure to operate the process, including workstream planning and defining organisational and roles and responsibilities
• Materiality assessment and development of an activity and site screening tool to identify applicable reporting requirements and to guide an existing enterprise risk management system
• Establishment of a mechanism for verification and reporting of compliance
• Development of a corporate LtO Management Procedure and training and coaching of in-country teams on implementation of the new structure and systems.

Client: An operator of a new 800+km, €multi-billion energy infrastructure link to Europe

A long standing engagement to carry out a materiality assessment and to design, develop and support implementation of a sustainability management and compliance assurance system. The design of the system commenced during a multi-year due diligence process by a lender group involving EBRD, EIB and several European export credit agencies and commercial banks, and the system was in operation during pre- and post-disbursement phases.

The system was implemented for over 5 years and underwent adaptation in response to changes in activities and emerging sustainability and ESG risks.

The revised sustainability management and compliance monitoring system were subject to close examination by the lender’s Independent Environmental and Social Consultant (IESC) during due diligence process and became a key factor in the developer qualifying for €3.9 billion of lender project finance.

Client: An European energy infrastructure operator

Scope: Development and implementation of a sustainability management and reporting system to support a major organisational and operational change.

The management system developed integrated the lender’s environmental and social requirements policies (EBRD, EIB, IFC and Equators Principles), applicable EU/country specific regulation, Eco Management, and an Audit Scheme (EMAS). It successfully supported certification to ISO14001.

The system was designed to include materiality assessment and detailed site operational procedures and reporting by the client on finance agreement ESG requirements and a wide range of social, biodiversity, water, air quality, noise, waste and sustainable resource consumption indicators.

Clients: A Fashion and Retail Industry Supply Chain

Scope: The project involved mapping of the supply chain across various tiers in the clothes and shoe sector to gain more transparency of the supply base and a better understanding of existing and potential labour and human rights risks and impacts.

We designed and implemented a comprehensive compliance and ‘beyond audit’ factory improvement programme across factories in Europe and Asia, building capacity on topics such as productivity, worker well-being, H&S, social insurance and empowering women at work. Developed a monitoring and evaluation framework and relevant KPIs to monitor the impact of the programme and demonstrate verifiable improved conditions for workers and better business results.

Client: A €multi-million European Pipeline Operator

Scope: Led stakeholder engagement work for multi-million pound pipeline contract, managing an ambitious programme of Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment report disclosure and stakeholder consultation meetings across three countries in and near Europe.

Coordinated stakeholder engagement activities in-country, such as community meetings, drop-in sessions, roundtable meetings and more targeted one-to-one meetings with a range of stakeholders including government authorities, businesses, NGOs, marine users and members of the public.

Managed bespoke database for storing and responding to stakeholder comments and concerns and implementing the grievance mechanism.

Client: International Financial Institution  

Scope: Supported financial institution lender to review company’s approach to sustainable development and assessing environmental, social and stakeholder issues associated with company operations, and providing recommendations in alignment with the IFC Performance Standards. Site visit involved undertaking extensive stakeholder engagement with nearby villages and tribal communities, and engaging with local politicians, NGOs and government agencies.

Client: A €Multi-billion European energy infrastructure developer and operator

Scope: Development and implementation of biodiversity management and monitoring program for a European energy infrastructure developer to support due diligence and post loan disbursement phases.

Integration of biodiversity-related constraints from ESIA and pre-construction surveys and interpretation of multiple lender policies into a program covering diverse and critical coastal, alpine meadow, riparian and forest habitats to demonstrate compliance with European and national regulatory and lender requirements.

The biodiversity management program was integrated into project scheduling, construction execution as well as operations and maintenance activities, to avoid conflicting priorities, and involved extensive training and coaching of in-country teams.

Client: A $Multi-million Gas Processing Facilities Developer

Scope: Long-term Environmental and Biodiversity project management on development of a new gas processing plant and offshore and onshore flow lines in the Scottish Northern Isles.

Developed mitigation, bio-restoration and post construction monitoring strategies for multiple European protected species and priority habitats. Coached and audited Tier 1 Contractor to assure compliance to national and European legal requirements.

Client: A €Multi-billion European energy infrastructure developer and operator (onshore and offshore)

Scope: Biodiversity offset support on a cross-European project focusing on restoration stage activities. Designed a biodiversity offset strategy and management plans to ensure compliance to both national regulatory and lender requirements with a focus on large terrestrial afforestation programs and additional conservation actions with local NGOs.

Client: A New Solar Project Development

Scope: Completion of an ecosystems services assessment for a new 140 MW solar project in the Balkans targeting funding by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Finance Corporation.

An interdisciplinary approach with a team of biodiversity and social scientists was used to build upon the existing ESIA and livelihood assessment studies and data. The scope of the assessment considered the photovoltaic plant site as well as the corridor of new overhead powerline.