Annual Sustainability Report Shares Black & Veatch’s Progress on Environmental, Workplace Goals
Global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction leader is helping clients decrease carbon emissions while maintaining resilient and profitable infrastructure
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., August 10, 2023 /3BL/ — Global critical human infrastructure company Black & Veatch has released its 2023 Sustainability Report to update industry stakeholders on the progress it has made, along with its employee-owners and clients, on environmental, social and governance priorities. The report outlines steps the engineering, procurement, consulting and construction leader is taking to address carbon emissions and improve workplace safety, diversity and inclusion, ethics and compliance and more.
The report also details how the company continues to advance sustainability practices at its world headquarters and with its clients’ assets, including the use of renewable energy, water reuse and other decarbonization efforts. In addition, internal administrative initiatives such as hybrid work schedules help reduce carbon emissions and enable more inclusive working environments. Black & Veatch’s third Sustainability Report highlights the company’s alignment to the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact, the CEO Water Mandate and the Caring for Climate pledges. 2022 sustainability progress included the following:
- Exceeding the company’s 2023 overall emissions reduction goal and achieving, by more than half, its 2023 Scope 1 and 2 emissions reduction goal.
- Maintaining Black & Veatch’s strong safety culture when, for the first time in its 108-year history, the company recorded more construction hours than office hours and still reached its safety goals.
- Increasing new graduate year-over-year hiring rates for females by 13% and minorities by 80%.
- Earning a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index, achieving a spot among “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality 2022” for the fourth consecutive year.
- Making a commitment to reduce inequality by supporting organizations that seek to end human trafficking. Black & Veatch supported Kansas City, Kansas-based Veronica’s Voice with remodeling and renovation needs at its facilities.
- Executing a Sustainable by Design pilot program to develop recommendations for the most impactful engineering design and supply chain practices for ensuring sustainability of Black & Veatch projects.
- Leading the third iteration of the IgniteX Climate Tech Accelerator, working with eight startups to help develop and scale new climate technology.
Black & Veatch is helping its clients advance many clean energy technologies such as solar, wind and hydrogen to help the world address climate challenges. In addition, the company has several capabilities to address PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination, including PFAS technology identification, analysis, cost/performance testing and regulatory compliance. This expertise puts Black & Veatch at the forefront in the research, advancement and application of innovative technologies for the removal of these “forever chemicals” from our water.
“By embracing sustainability investments with a broader and balanced perspective, businesses not only align themselves with global goals for a better future but also ensure long-term success, resilience and relevance in an increasingly competitive marketplace,” Deepa Poduval, Black & Veatch’s Global Sustainability Leader, wrote in the report. “Black & Veatch leverages our expertise to create practical pathways for the success of our clients’ investments, from strategy to execution.”
Find more information on Black & Veatch’s Corporate Sustainability Program at www.bv.com.
About Black & Veatch
Black & Veatch is a 100-percent employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people around the world by addressing the resilience and reliability of our most important infrastructure assets. Our revenues in 2022 were US$4.3 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.
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