1. We are WSP
  2. What we do
  3. Water solutions
  4. Earth and Environment
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We solve the world’s most complex environmental challenges

Natural and human-made ecosystems are deeply interconnected. We are dedicated to understanding those connections and making them stronger, with solutions that are bold, resilient and transformative.  

Our environmental consulting teams are the vital link between strategic insight, groundbreaking research and real-world action. We guide our clients in making informed decisions and uncover opportunities. With 20,000+ specialists in air, soil, water, nature, sustainability and climate, we apply deep technical expertise and innovation where it matters, driving positive impacts for businesses, communities and nature. 

You’ll find us playing a part on projects across the globe, in every industrial sector, at every stage. Minimizing footprints and maximizing outcomes. Applying responsible practices, and more balanced approaches. Cleaning up historic contamination and restoring ecosystems. Delivering an energy resilient future, and advancing sustainable, equitable development.  

In a constantly changing world, we help our clients not just to keep pace, but to lead. We uncover new solutions and help them identify pathways to achieving their most ambitious objectives and their highest aspirations. 

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Our expertise

Our Earth & Environment services are organized into ten core categories that reflect how we deliver integrated expertise across the project lifecycle. From climate strategy and permitting to remediation and restoration, this structure helps clients and partners navigate our capabilities with clarity and confidence. 

Advisory and technical services that support climate resilience, energy transition, and sustainable development, including GHG strategy, carbon management, and sustainability reporting sustainable development. This includes emissions management, renewable energy planning, and sustainability strategy and reporting. 

Related Services: 

  • Climate Change Risk Assessments 
  • Environmental, Energy and Economic Modelling
  • GHG Emission Management/Reduction plans 
  • Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Programs and Plans
  • Energy Audits – Assessments - Planning 
  • Sustainability Advisory Services 
  • Sustainability Reporting 
  • SDG Planning and Management 

Assessment, modelling, and mitigation of air emissions, noise, and vibration impacts, supporting permitting, regulatory compliance, and health risk evaluations, assessment, modelling, and mitigation of air emissions, noise, and vibration impacts. Supports permitting, compliance, and health risk evaluations across sectors. 

Related Services: 

  • Air quality, Noise or Vibration Measurement and Monitoring
  • Air quality dispersion modelling
  • Emissions inventories and policy development
  • Air quality or Noise Assessments 
  • Regulatory reporting, and compliance DD  
  • Odour Assessments 
  • Carbon emission reduction 

Site investigation, risk assessment, and remediation of contaminated land and groundwater, including sustainable remediation strategies and regulatory negotiation. Site investigation, risk assessment, and remediation of contaminated land and groundwater. Services span brownfield redevelopment, hydrogeology, and site closure. 

Related Services: 

  • Phase 1-2-3 ESAs 
  • Hydrogeological / Contaminants modeling
  • Remediation Strategies 
  • Geo-chemistry 
  • Site Closure (including Mine sites) 
  • Remediation supervision and monitoring 

Environmental and social assessments, permitting support, and ecological services for new developments, including strategic environmental assessments and GIS-based planning. Includes stakeholder engagement, biodiversity planning, and regulatory compliance. 

Related Services:   

  • Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) 
  • Baseline Studies 
  • Wetland, Terrestrial, Fish or Marine Ecology 
  • Stakeholder Engagement 
  • Landscape Architecture, and Visual Renderings
  • Archeology, Heritage, Anthropology Services 
  • Strategic Environmental Assessments 

Audits, risk assessments, and advisory services to support environmental health and safety, regulatory compliance, chemical risk management, liability management, and operational performance across industries. 

Related Services:  

  • Environmental Management Systems  
  • Environmental Due Diligence Services  
  • Environmental Health and Safety Management 
  • Chemical Management and Risk
  • Regulatory Compliance and Product Stewardship 
  • Risks Assessments, including Fire Risk
  • Liability Assessments 
  • Environmental Compliance Review

Integrated water management services including hydrology, flood risk, water quality, and coastal systems, with expertise in pollution control and ecological restoration. Supports sustainable use, restoration, and resilience planning. 

Related Services:    

  • Hydrogeology Services 
  • Water Management Services (including catchment) 
  • Water markets, policy and economics
  • Flood Risks and Mitigation 
  • Surface and Ground Water Modeling
  • Water Quality Assessments/Monitoring
  • Mine Water and Tailings Management 
  • Wetland and Marine Restoration

Solutions for waste minimization, treatment, and disposal, including energy recovery, stakeholder engagement, and hazardous waste management. Includes landfill design, hazardous waste management, and waste-to-energy strategies. 

Related Services:   

  • Landfill design and closure 
  • Landfill Gas Assessments and Management 
  • Leachate Assessments, collection and treatment Services 
  • Waste Audits, and Reduction plans
  • Hazardous materials Assessments and Management 
  • Demolition planning and supervision 
  • Recycling systems
  • Waste to Energy Strategies and Design 

Geotechnical investigations, design, and construction support, including ground engineering, rock mechanics, and materials testing. Geotechnical investigations, design, and construction support. Covers materials testing, mine tailings, and ground engineering for infrastructure and industrial projects. 

Related Services:      

  • Geotech Surveys and designs 
  • Mine tailings and dams 
  • Testing and control 
  • Materials Laboratory testing 
  • Materials Engineering 
  • Construction supervision and control 

Environmental and permitting services across the mining lifecycle, including geo-chemistry, biodiversity, and social license to operate. Includes mine water, tailings, closure planning, biodiversity, and ESG strategy. 

Related Services:    

  • Mine closure 
  • Mine water 
  • Mine tailings and waste 
  • Biodiversity 
  • Mine permitting, social acceptability 
  • Mining ESG, carbon reduction, GHG 
We deliver execution-focused services as prime contractor, including: Environmental remediation, Mine closure, Landfill development and construction, and Treatment systems for air, water, and soil. These services are supported by our global governance framework to ensure quality, safety, and compliance.


Related Services:      

  • Mine closure delivery
  • Landfill construction
  • Water, soil, and air treatment systems
  • Wetland and ecosystem restoration

Digital Platforms

Our digital platforms perform a critical role in underpinning our advice and services. These world-leading tools allow us to collaborate across design teams, as well as with clients and the communities they serve; ultimately delivering stronger designs and advice.

Land iQ
Streamlining planning for government with evidence‑based decisions.
Land iQ supports future‑focused planning by helping governments optimise land use, bringing together evidence from transport, urban design and public space studies.
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Floodly
Using machine learning to predict river levels and flood risk.
WSP’s Floodly uses machine learning to predict river levels and flood risk. Its rapid predictions complement traditional hydraulic modelling, which can be slower, more costly and challenging to apply in complex urban catchments.
Learn more
Nature Vista
Turning nature-related risk into opportunity
WSP’s AI‑enabled platform that connects nature and asset data to turn complex environmental insight into clear, actionable decisions across the full project lifecycle.
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WSP’s clients rely on us to help them stay ahead in a changing world. By bringing together teams with deep specialist expertise and complimentary skillsets, we can create better outcomes for a wider range of stakeholders.

We make a difference at every stage

Our teams work with companies in every industrial sector, governments, financial institutions and non-profits. We support them whenever and however they need us to, from due diligence and acquisitions, through impact assessments, feasibility, design, permitting and planning, to operation, decommissioning and restoration. 

Advisory

We are trusted advisors across the project life cycle. We carry out due diligence, feasibility, environment impact assessments and socioeconomic studies to enable clients to understand their impacts, manage risks and meet regulatory obligations, and we help them develop strategies to enhance the natural environment. 

Conception

We design business-aligned solutions that stand the test of time. Our ground engineers work closely with our permitting, regulatory, program management, remediation and closure teams, taking an integrated, multidisciplinary approach that advances circularity and provides seamless continuity for our clients.  

We help clients to optimize their operations and unlock wider benefits. We provide innovative solutions for water stewardship, waste management and contamination, and support strong ESG performance through regulatory compliance, stakeholder approvals and comprehensive environmental, health and safety management. 

We develop strategies for site closure, decommissioning, remediation and land redevelopment, reimagining end-of-life assets to give them a new purpose. We help clients to manage risk with solutions that address environmental and societal impacts, maintain commercial viability, prioritize health and safety, and promote sustainable resource use. 

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A global community of specialists

Our Earth & Environment team covers a lot of ground. That’s because there are a lot of us. 

We are geologists, ground and geotechnical engineers, scientists and specialists in air quality, biodiversity, water, waste, social value, health and safety, climate and ESG, each deeply immersed and committed to advancing our chosen field.

1 Interconnected Global Team Local Expertise

Everything in nature is connected. So are we.

For each project, we assemble a team with the right blend of technical expertise, sector insight, and local and global knowledge. 

We collaborate across regions and industries, and with multidisciplinary colleagues around the world, to make the best international practices work for unique regulatory and cultural contexts.

Redefine potential

We invest strongly in research and innovation to develop solutions to the world’s biggest challenges, and we believe in sharing what we’ve learned.

We are applying the latest scientific discoveries and digital tools to help our clients achieve their goals, and leveraging our scale and reach to advance the transition to a sustainable, resilient, nature-rich society.

22 Deep Sector Knowledge Crosssector Insight

Related projects

Our sectors

We are a trusted partner to clients in every sector of the economy, including highly regulated industries.  

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Mining & metals

We help mining clients to improve sustainability, enhance safety and create value across all stages of the mine life cycle. From exploration through to operations and closure, we turn corporate goals into site-level actions that make an impact.

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Power & energy

We are supporting clients to unlock an array of energy sources, from renewables, to nuclear, to oil and gas. We guide them towards environmental stewardship goals, with services spanning pre-feasibility, design, permitting, operation and decommissioning. 

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Transport & infrastructure

We deliver new infrastructure and upgrade or replace aging assets, across rail, transit, road, maritime and aviation. We support clients at every project stage, from route optimization and environmental impact assessments to stakeholder approvals, ground engineering and materials testing.

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Water 

We support clients in all sectors to manage precious water resources sustainably, with  services spanning groundwater, stormwater management, flood mitigation, dam design and water/wastewater treatment. 
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Industry & advanced manufacturing 

We help manufacturing clients to select sites, plan facilities and optimize their operations, devising strategies for environmental, health, safety and water management. We also support them at closure, with site remediation, decommissioning and repurposing.
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Technology & telecommunications  

We support data centre clients with environmental impact assessments, permitting and due diligence, and provide tailored solutions for managing environmental risk, minimizing freshwater use, recycling wastewater and improving energy efficiency.
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Government

We work with local, state and central governments around the world to develop strategic long-term plans and practical, deliverable solutions for waste management, water supply, flood control, green infrastructure, environmental remediation, socio-economic wellbeing, and transportation. 

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Land use and development 

We help property clients to identify suitable sites, meet regulatory requirements and develop sustainably, by carrying out environmental impact assessments and due diligence, and devising strategies to remediate contaminated land and manage waste.

Discover our key areas of expertise

Our E&E teams are at the forefront of addressing today's critical priorities. Visit our dedicated pages to learn how we support our clients in achieving water resiliency, driving the energy transition, combating PFAS contamination, and protecting nature and biodiversity. 

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Water

We are working closely with our clients to reshape resilience, by protecting water sources, optimizing use, and designing systems that are resilient and ready for change. 
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Energy Transition

Accelerating progress towards an energy-secure future.
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Combating PFAS contamination

Our expert teams are pioneering solutions to one of the most complex environmental challenges of our era.
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Nature

The biodiversity of the natural world has intrinsic value. It’s also critical for the co-benefits it provides to the climate, human health, social cohesion and economic resilience.
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Explore our services

As a multidisciplinary partner, we bring technical depth, accumulated knowledge and the latest technologies to help our clients excel.

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Lead and grow

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