WSP ESG Report Insights NZ

This below information covers select regional environmental, social and governance (ESG) figures for January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, and is for WSP in New Zealand. For more detailed information, please refer to the WSP Global ESG Report.

Environmental Targets

WSP Global Science Based Targets are:

1. -60% decrease in absolute scope 1 and 2 market-based GHG emissions by 2030 from 2018 base year

2.- 30% decreases in absolute scope 3 emissions by 2030 from 2018 baseline year

3. Reach Net Zero emissions in our value chain by 2040

WSP New Zealand's goal:

Halving emissions associated with our design and advice by 2030, compared to 2020 baseline year.

WSP Global renewable electricity target:

1. Procure 100% renewable electricity by 2030

WSP in New Zealand Office and Fleet Energy Consumption

WSP NZ GHG Emissions t-CO2

Case Studies on Environment

1. Climate Transition Plan Progress actions taken in 2023 in New Zealand

The WSP Global Climate Transition Plan, which was published in June 2022, provides an overview of our GHG emissions reduction targets, our net zero commitment and key strategies we will implement to achieve our targets as we collectively transition to a low-carbon future. We refer to WSP in New Zealand as “we” in this content. These are the key actions taken, big and small, in WSP in New Zealand during the year of 2023:

2. Halving the emissions from our design and advice by 2030

In 2023, our New Zealand team completed a baseline measurement of GHG emissions resulting from our designs and advice in the calendar year 2020. This included:

- Developing a GHG emissions measurement methodology

- Assessing the emissions of over 190 projects representing each market sector, which by value equated to approximately 14% of WSP in New Zealand’s 2020 net revenue.

The New Zealand team determined it was possible to measure GHG emissions associated with approximately 84% of the identified projects. They estimated that those measured client projects represented approximately 2.02 million tCO2 in lifecycle emissions. On average this equated to almost 1,800 tCO2 per project. These results come with a 90% confidence interval, +/- 5.9% sampling error and are contextual to assumed asset lifecycles of New Zealand clients.

The team also recognised that there were no existing tools and processes to assess project emissions for 16% of projects assessed. Innovation will be required to remedy this in the future.

A variety of internal and external carbon assessment tools were used across sectors as appropriate. The initiative was leveraged as an employee training and development exercise.

3. Planting native trees in Hamilton Kirikiriroa, Waikato

In August 2023 our Kirikiriroa Hamilton office employees took part in WSP NZ community day to plant 2000 native trees in the local Minogue Park, alongside Hamilton City Council. Native trees provide food and habitat for our native birds and other species and support conservation of the unique New Zealand ecosystem. Native trees also provide shade, windbreaks, and store carbon while promoting biodiversity.

Community Engagement in WSP New Zealand

Case Studies on Social

Bridges To Prosperity, Rwanda

In October 10 WSP employees from seven different countries (Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and the UK) came together with Bridges to Prosperity members to build the Ruhondo Trail Bridge across the Rugabano River in Rwanda. Providing uninterrupted access throughout the year to the communities of Karambi and Gahororo/Gitabura, the trail bridge enables safe passage for children to schools, secures trade routes, and facilitates access to essential services such as healthcare.

Westhaven Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Office

Our Westhaven office in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland underwent a major refit to maximise the employee and client experience, incorporating sustainable materials and energy-efficient features. Automatic lighting was installed, old furnitures and floor carpet tiles were donated to charity and sensor taps were installed to save energy and water.

The refit was designed with a keen awareness of neurodiversity, creating an inclusive atmosphere to accommodate diverse working styles. A working group of WSP kaimahi Māori (Māori employees) collaborated with Māori artists and the Auckland project management company Expedite Projects to develop indigenous design and artwork featured throughout the internal and client facing spaces. The Westhaven office sits on reclaimed land—once part of Waitematā Harbour—so much of the indigenous design is themed around “Te Mauri o Te Wai” (the essence of water). The intent is to acknowledge what “once was”—best expressed in the proverb “Me hoki whakamuri, kia anga whakamua”—acknowledging the past, to guide us into the future. Read more on our website.

Our Rautaki Māori and Māori business advisory

Hāpaitia te ara tika,
pūmau ai te rangatiratanga mo
ngā uri whakatipu

Foster the pathway of knowledge to strength,
independence and growth
for future generations.

WSP’s New Zealand team is dedicated to a future that is inclusive and diverse. Our Māori business advisory team supports our internal and external stakeholders to build authentic connections between Māori and non-Māori. The team achieves this by genuinely coordinating and engaging with Iwi, Māori, tangata whenua (indigenous peoples) and non-Māori. Our services empower our clients to increase their understanding of Te Ao Māori (worldviews), build cultural foundations across projects and provide holistic and sustainable solutions which reduce project and business risks.

WSP in New Zealand’s rautaki Māori (Māori strategy) provides strategic direction on how we can ingrain Te Ao Māori (worldviews), Te Reo Māori (language), and Tikanga Māori (protocols) into our organisation, the relationships we build, and the work we produce.

Future Ready

Future Ready® provides the WSP employees with purpose, knowledge and tools, giving teams a sense of meaning in their contributions. We established Future Ready® seven years ago as a systemic way to identify key trends relevant to a project, giving more innovative, sustainable and resilient advice in a rapidly changing world. We have now embedded the principles throughout our business, showcasing our unique capabilities. Today, Future Ready® is at the heart of our innovative culture. We are proud of what we have achieved, establishing leadership and recognition within the industry.

We know the future will be different from today, and we know our projects and advice can leave a long legacy. We also know that it is difficult to think outside the present, and design codes and standards take time to evolve—which is why at WSP we aim to be proactive.

Future Ready case studies

Prioritising Safety and Environmental Conservation in Piarere, Waikato

The junction of State Highways 1 and 29 in Piarere has long been considered one of New Zealand’s most dangerous road intersections. As part of a national upgrade programme, a transformation is underway to prioritise safety and provide the growing community with more travel options, balanced with environmental considerations. WSP worked with the NZ Transport Agency - Waka Kotahi, mana whenua (indigenous groups who have historic rights over the land) and the Waikato community to develop infrastructure that integrates road safety, environmental conservation and cultural awareness. WSP led consultations with Māori to gain insights into key focus areas and the cultural significance of the environmental context. As part of WSP’s “one team” collaborative approach, Waka Kotahi was integrated into the project team from the outset, and WSP engaged with stakeholders from multiple disciplines, including archaeologists, ecologists, landscape designers and water specialists.

WSP designed a stormwater treatment system that supports and enhances the intersection’s natural environment. Water management solutions included incorporating mana whenua narratives into the design and adapting stormwater flow and disposal methods to protect native species. The new two-lane roundabout has a central island featuring walkways and bike lanes for active travel. Construction is slated for completion in 2025.

Supplier diversity

At WSP in New Zealand we have an aspirational goal to have 5% of our supplier base of diverse suppliers. At the end of 2023 we had 4% of our suppliers from diverse backgrounds. We define minority group suppliers as third parties that include women owned, 50% Māori & Pasifika owned, other minority owned businesses (e.g. veteran owned), and Social Enterprises.

Forward Looking Statements

Objective

WSP Global Inc. and WSP New Zealand may make or provide statements or information in this document that are not based on historical facts, and which are considered to be forward-looking information or forward-looking statements under Canadian securities laws.

Content of disclosure

Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and may include, but are not limited to, estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact, including, our corporate GHG emissions objectives which include, without limitation, our objectives concerning measuring, disclosing and reducing our WSP Global and NZ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in our operations, supply chain and designs and advice, and specific actions we expect to take to reduce our energy consumption and GHG emissions.

Assumption

We have made certain operational and other assumptions in preparing the forward-looking statements contained in this document. In particular, our ESG objectives are based on a number of assumptions, including, without limitation, assumptions regarding sufficiency of internal and external resources; our ability to maintain effective GHG management systems and processes, the continuation of supportive stakeholder engagement and collaboration; our ability to implement all necessary measures to achieve our climate and GHG targets, no new business acquisitions or technologies, investments or joint ventures that would materially increase our anticipated levels of GHG emissions, no negative impact on the calculation of our GHG emissions from refinements in or modifications to international standards our ability to collaborate with our vendors and suppliers, our ability to attract and retain talent to deliver design and advice to clients and other assumptions described in the “Forward-Looking Statements” sections of our most recent Global ESG Report, which sections are each incorporated by reference into this cautionary statement and which document is available on our website. If our assumptions turn out to be inaccurate, actual results or events could be materially different from what we expect.

Disclosure of Risk Factors

Important risk factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the previously-mentioned forward-looking statements and other forward-looking statements contained in this statement, include, but are not limited to factors such as: failure to implement sufficient corporate and business initiatives; difficulty in accurately measuring, evaluating and disclosing our GHG performance; our inability to collect GHG data from acquired companies, including for historical years; unavailability of electric vehicles and/or failure to install electric vehicle chargers at leased office space; unavailability of energy efficient buildings; increases in real estate costs; our inability to collect energy, waste, procurement, cleaning, fleet, business travel and vendor GHG data from external data providers; our ability to estimate emissions; the unwillingness of suppliers to disclose GHG emissions data and reduce emissions; failure to accurately estimate the sustainability benefits of our client design and advice, failure to attract and retain qualified staff to support capturing opportunities associated with the low-carbon transition, changes made to regulations that may affect WSP’s business and the development of GHG requirement regulations as well as other risks detailed from time to time in reports filed by WSP Global Inc. with securities regulators or securities commissions or other documents that WSP Global Inc. makes public, which may cause events or results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement.

Risk factors stated above and other risk factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from our expectations expressed in, or implied by, our forward-looking statements are discussed in this statement as well as in WSP Global Inc.’s most recent annual Management’s Discussion and Analysis, which section is incorporated by reference into this cautionary statement. WSP’s forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are subject to change. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws. We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this statement.