Climate Change issues are becoming increasingly prominent in terms of Due Diligence, and RPS is uniquely positioned to assess the impact of these by virtue of our extensive skills-base and international profile. In addition to the traditional environmental due diligence scope focussing on contaminated land and legislative compliance, RPS' mulit-disciplinary team can provide a range of value added services to assess the relationship between climate change and a business's activities.

In terms of physical risks and adaptation, we offer the following expertise: Flood Risk Assessment (to determine vulnerability to flooding, asset values and insurance risk) ; Hydrology and Water Resource Management (to determine vulnerability to water scarcity); M&E Services (to determine vulnerability of energy supply systems and change in ambient conditions); Land Use and Masterplanning (impact of climate on land and land-use policy); Health Impact Assessment (impact of climate on human health).

In considering the financial, market and brand issues we offer: Carbon Footprinting (to quantify emissions exposures/opportunities) ; Energy Management (to benchmark current performance and opportunities for improvement, with costs/savings if necessary) ; Energy Supply (e.g. exposure to energy markets; opportunities to diversify and increase energy security); Life-cycle Analysis (to determine the whole-life impact of products/services on Climate Change); Emissions Trading Services (to assess trading opportunities/risks); Energy Performance Certification (impact on liquidity of large commercial properties) ; Renewable Energy Assessment (Assessment of potential for large or small-scale renewable energy generation; grid connectivity etc) ; Policy Reviews (to determine impacts of proposed legislation – e.g. extensions of carbon trading to commercial sector; aviation) ; Brand Impact assessment (current brand positioning in respect of Climate Change, impact of carbon labelling and other issues that will affect consumer sentiment) ; Market Assessment (to establish product-specific climate change issues; e.g. end-of life legislation; proposed vehicle manufacturer emissions standards; phasing our incandescent light technologies; new product standards or subsidies) ; Travel and Supply Chain Issues (increasing cost of food commodities as a result of diversion into bio-fuels; “food-miles and consumer issues; need for increased redundancy in supply chain to cope with adverse weather).

In addition to the specific service listed above, there may be a requirement for other expertise depending on the client. Some examples could be Waste and Energy from Waste; Ecology; Construction Methods and Material; Sustainability Assessment; Regulatory Compliance (related to Climate Change); Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control etc, all of which, and more, we have in-house.