No Content Set
Exception:
Website.Models.ViewModels.Components.General.Banners.BannerComponentVm

Services

Technical services and consulting solutions for clients in the property, energy, transport, water, resources, defence and government sectors.

Advisory and management consulting

RPS advisory and management consulting services for businesses and projects, including economics, due diligence, transaction advisory, ESG and more.

Communications, creative and digital

Communications, creative and digital solutions for governments and businesses including community engagement, design, research, data and software development.

Laboratories

Scientific analysis services for AgroScience, food safety, workplace exposure, environmental analysis and contaminants of concern in Europe and the UK.

Planning and approvals

Development strategy, planning and approval solutions for buildings, infrastructure, transport and city projects and investments.

Project and program management

Project management solutions for the most complex building, infrastructure, organisational change, and systems projects.

Training

Specialist training services, programs and accreditation for health, safety and risk, project management, and energy sector capability development.

Sectors

World-leading technical and consulting solutions for clients in the property, energy, transport, resources, water, defence and government sectors.

Property

Design, technical and advisory services for the property sector, including residential, commercial, retail, industrial, health, education and data centre projects.

Energy

Energy exploration, development and optimisation solutions for renewables, power and gas networks, energy storage, oil and gas and nuclear facilties.

Transport

Smart, safe and sustainable transport infrastructure development services and advice for rail, aviation, port and road clients and projects.

Defence and government services

Expertise for defence capability and infrastructure investments, security and safety projects, and information and telecommunications initatives.

Water

Discover our industry-leading strategy, design and management solutions for wastewater, groundwater, flooding, drainage and network infrastructure.

Resources

Commercial data, design advice and technical management solutions for safe and environmentally responsible resource exploration and operations.

About us

Responsibility

Services

Technical services and consulting solutions for clients in the property, energy, transport, water, resources, defence and government sectors.

explore Services
Advisory and management consulting by RPS

RPS advisory and management consulting services for businesses and projects, including economics, due diligence, transaction advisory, ESG and more.

Due diligence

Economics

Strategy and transformation

Commercial advisory

Transaction advisory

Project investment and finance

ESG consulting

Deal advisory

Explore Advisory and management consulting
Communications, creative and digital

Communications, creative and digital solutions for governments and businesses including community engagement, design, research, data and software development.

Communications and engagement

Creative, visualisation and immersive design

Social advisory and research

Data management, analytics and insights

Spatial intelligence and GIS

Software development

Explore Communications, creative and digital
Design and development

Technical and consulting services for buildings, infrastructure and cities including architecture, engineering, surveying, landscape architecture and urban design.

Architecture

Lifts and escalators

Building services engineering

Civil engineering

Fire engineering

Geotechnical engineering

Landscape architecture

Structural engineering

Surveying

Utility options and design

Urban design

Explore Design and development
Laboratories

Scientific analysis services for AgroScience, food safety, workplace exposure, environmental analysis and contaminants of concern in Europe and the UK.

AgroScience analysis

Food safety analysis

PFAS Analysis

Environmental analysis

Analysis of unknowns

Workplace exposure analysis

Explore Laboratories
Planning and approvals

Development strategy, planning and approval solutions for buildings, infrastructure, transport and city projects and investments.

Planning consultancy

Transport planning

Explore Planning and approvals
Project and program management

Project management solutions for the most complex building, infrastructure, organisational change, and systems projects.

Program management

Project management

Cost management / quantity surveying

Building consultancy

Explore Project and program management
Training

Specialist training services, programs and accreditation for health, safety and risk, project management, and energy sector capability development.

Health, safety and risk

Training: project management

Capability development and training for the energy sector

Explore Training

Sectors

World-leading technical and consulting solutions for clients in the property, energy, transport, resources, water, defence and government sectors.

explore Sectors
Property

Design, technical and advisory services for the property sector, including residential, commercial, retail, industrial, health, education and data centre projects.

Residential

Commercial and retail

Leisure and tourism

Industrial

Health and healthcare

Education

Data centres

Explore Property
Energy

Energy exploration, development and optimisation solutions for renewables, power and gas networks, energy storage, oil and gas and nuclear facilties.

Oil and gas

Renewables

Nuclear facilities

Power and gas networks

Storage

Explore Energy
Transport

Smart, safe and sustainable transport infrastructure development services and advice for rail, aviation, port and road clients and projects.

Rail

Aviation

Ports

Roads

Explore Transport
Defence and government services

Expertise for defence capability and infrastructure investments, security and safety projects, and information and telecommunications initatives.

Defence

Security and safety

Information and telecommunications

Explore Defence and government services
Water

Discover our industry-leading strategy, design and management solutions for wastewater, groundwater, flooding, drainage and network infrastructure.

Water management

Wastewater

Flooding and drainage

Groundwater

UK and Ireland regulated water asset management

Explore Water
Resources

Commercial data, design advice and technical management solutions for safe and environmentally responsible resource exploration and operations.

Mining

Waste

Explore Resources

Projects

We define, design and manage projects that create shared value to a complex, urbanising and resource-scarce world.

explore Projects

Brilliant minds finding solutions to complex problems, made easy to understand. Making complex easy.

Brilliant minds finding solutions to complex problems, made easy to understand. Making complex easy.

explore Insights

Future environmental, social and governance megatrends – worth the risk?

Matt Farnsworth, Associate Director for Transaction Advisory / Due Diligence Services, considers Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) trends and their potential future impacts;

“As we examine recent corporate events and look ahead it’s clear that the breadth of issues facing modern business has proliferated. Aside from the geo-political and economic uncertainties, the outlook for environmental and social issues looks challenging”.

28 November 2017 | 4 min read
ON THIS PAGE

What if?

As strategic advisors to businesses during operational change or company acquisitions and disposals, RPS is commonly required to examine the ‘what if’ future scenarios and how Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) trends are likely to impact long-term.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Report for 2018, four of the top five risks now include environmental and societal issues, including extreme weather events, water crises, natural disasters and failure to mitigate or adapt to climate change.

We have already seen how businesses and livelihoods have been disrupted by both natural and man-induced events in recent years, from the Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013 to the emissions scandal in 2015 and the more recent plastics debate in 2018.

“Businesses are no longer able to focus solely on financial performance alone and need to be more accountable to their stakeholders and investors” advises Matt. “There is a need for integration of ESG factors into day to day decision making, and changing the way in which a business accounts for itself and its behaviour”.

“So as we look ahead at the global megatrends to see a future with demand for freshwater exceeding supply by 40% by 2030, and related food and resource scarcity; projected urbanised population growth placing strain on infrastructure and services; wealth imbalance and income shifts; and changes in patterns of energy demand, not to mention the implications of climate change, there are a number of challenges, but moreover, plenty of opportunities”.

Weathering the storm

Some businesses appear to weather impacts with ease, while others slide into decline and occasionally administration. “In a world where social media can highlight the use of supply chain child labour overnight, or where issues of global water scarcity can effectively remove a company’s ‘licence to operate’, such emotive issues are now broadcast faster than a company can react“ warns Matt. “So, ultimately, we’re talking about ESG risk management and resilience. As the issues become more complex and yet interrelated, companies need to take more of an active role in acknowledging ESG trends facing the business and integrating these into their operational strategies and due diligence activities. Only then can all the possible risks, opportunities and impacts be fully understood and prepared for. After all, it makes sense to not only protect and enhance the business, but plan to help it respond to future scenarios”.

Failing to place ESG at the heart of the business

In 2017, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) proposed the introduction of enterprise risk management as a means to manage ESG issues. They found that businesses were failing to place material issues at the heart of businesses to the extent they became disconnected from business strategy.

“We’d agree that without a connection to core business strategy ESG factors run the risk of being siloed to a disconnected sustainability department. Which worse still, is then wheeled out only to address whatever issue is in the news that week, as a temporary sticking plaster that rarely adds long term value” adds Matt.

“Fortunately, the majority are no longer easily hoodwinked with false promises and short term declarations of action. Companies are judged by their longer term performance and critically, the level of trust built up by their customers”. In early 2018, the WBCSD and the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) further explored the possibilities for introducing enterprise risk management systems into business as a means to control ESG risks. Businesses have until the end of June 2018 to comment on the guidance, which is out for public comment.

“We see this as a welcome addition and one which businesses would benefit from accommodating. It’s evident to see that if businesses can be more clearly informed on the risks presented to them, then they are themselves better prepared to respond and put in place the measures needed to mitigate those risks to the business, stakeholders and wider society” concludes Matt.

No Content Set
Exception:
Website.Models.ViewModels.Blocks.PageBlocks.CardBlocks.KeyContactsCardBlockVm