SAN DIEGO — WSP USA, a leading engineering and professional services firm, received honors from Environmental Business Journal (EBJ) and Climate Change Business Journal (CCBJ) for project and technological merit, and exponential growth of its corporate resilience practice.
The awards speak to WSP’s enterprise-wide focus on, and commitment to, innovation and advancing its climate, resilience and sustainability services across all public and private sector markets.
In the Project Merit category, EBJ recognized WSP’s cutting-edge work with Denver Water and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to plan, design, execute and evaluate the first water utility climate risk and opportunity tabletop exercises. To test the recently published Water Utility Business Function Climate Risk and Opportunity Framework and Guidebook, WSP established a collaborative and science-based climate scenario planning approach to help water utility leaders understand existing underlying conditions, their exposure to changes in the climate, and how they can mainstream climate considerations into utility management.
“Our work with Denver Water and SFPUC is an excellent example of how organizations can begin to mainstream climate change science, analysis and solutions across their critical business functions,” said Emily Wasley, project manager and climate resilience leader in WSP’s Sustainability, Energy and Climate Change practice.
WSP’s AirWatch System™, a comprehensive solution designed to meet new safety and environmental regulations requiring real-time fence line ambient air monitoring around oil and gas facilities, received a Technology Merit award. AirWatch is built around a state-of-the-art hydrocarbon monitor that provides continuous real-time emissions monitoring for hazardous air pollutants with part-per-billion sensitivity. It collects automated laboratory confirmation samples, stores hydrocarbon and meteorological data to the cloud, and is accessible through a secure web-based portal.
“The AirWatch System is a great opportunity for our clients to really understand and manage their offsite emissions; a Future Ready approach to know your risk and manage it appropriately,” said Steve Kahn, AirWatch specialist and environmental engineer at WSP USA. “It’s important to be constantly developing new ways to satisfy regulatory requirements, especially considering the dynamic nature of air emissions and compliance.”
CCBJ highlighted the remarkable expansion and diversification of WSP’s corporate climate risk, adaptation and resilience services with a Practice Growth award. In 2020, the firm tripled the number of clients to which it provides these capabilities and grew its related revenue by more than 300 percent, due in large part to the expansion of its Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) services.
Since 2015, WSP has partnered with clients in myriad industries to provide technical and strategic support for alignment with and implementation of the recommendations of the TCFD. In 2020, the firm’s TCFD support to clients accelerated considerably, going beyond enhancing TCFD filings and disclosures to co-designing and implementing multi-year TCFD roadmaps to help clients operationalize sustainability and resilience, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, invest in renewable energy, manage physical acute and chronic risks, and strengthen resilience across the enterprise, supply chain and in local communities.
“WSP has spent years, alongside its clients, partners and stakeholder, building and integrating the insights, capabilities and commitment that have now come together to meet the market’s sustainability and resilience needs with a formidable and unparalleled offering,” said Michael Mondshine, WSP director of Sustainability, Energy and Climate Change. “After nearly three decades working to achieve this impact, we are proud but far from satisfied!”
Publications of Environmental Business International Inc., EBJ and CCBJ provide strategic business intelligence to the environmental industry. The Business Achievement Awards program recognizes business performance in a range of areas, including strategic growth, mergers and acquisitions, exceptional projects and technology development.
The 2020 EBJ awards were presented at a virtual Zoom ceremony on Feb. 11 and 12. The CCBJ awards ceremony is planned for March 12.
About WSP USA
WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 10,000 employees in 170 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper. wsp.com
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