Professional Services Firms Move Further Into Climate Change Industry
Climate change and sustainability experts from a range of professional services firms told CCBJ that they believe climate change policy is inevitable in the United States and other developed countries where it hasn't yet been enacted-and they advise their clients to plan accordingly. Many also see major developing country governments taking significant action in coming years, a prediction bolstered by the commitments from China, India, Brazil and South Africa in Copenhagen.
Speaking of Copenhagen, while the accord disappointed NGOs, to leaders of small island states and many Europeans-whose leaders weren't even at the negotiating table for the accord-it sent a strong signal to U.S. emitters that federal climate policy is more likely than ever, according to advisers interviewed by CCBJ. "It was the first time we've seen the U.S. and the developing world come together and make an agreement of this nature," said David Hampton, managing partner of climate change consultancy Irbaris (profiled on p.9). "Any U.S. company investing in assets with 20 to 30 year lifecycles can't ignore the writing on the wall." But even without tougher national policies, international agreements or court decisions, other forces are pushing businesses toward shrinking their carbon footprints and developing sustainability strategies around their consumption of energy, water and other resources.
Brattle is in Its Element When Complex Economic Issues are At Stake
For The Brattle Group (Cambridge, Mass.), a climate change practice emerged naturally out of the firm's 20-year history of consulting for electric power utilities and oil and gas companies. In 2009, Brattle bulked up its climate change practice and market profile by recruiting two new principals with deep expertise and strong reputations in the climate change industry: Jurgen Weiss and Mark Sarro, formerly of Point Carbon and both specialists in energy- and carbon-related economic and risk analysis.
According to Weiss, the practice is made up of a small group of additional staff members working more or less full time around climate change issues, with another dozen or so Brattle principals and associates working on climate change in the context of broader energy planning problems. Brattle's climate change practice predominately encompasses four service areas and one technology specialty: carbon capture and storage.
Growth in IHS's Climate Change Work Mirrors Energy Clients' Carbon Concerns
Through acquisitions, hiring and staff development, IHS (Englewood, Colo.) has developed a broad suite of climate change products and services that range from greenhouse gas emissions monitoring and management to selling insights and consulting on corporate climate change strategies, policy development, renewable energy investment and carbon trading. Within the last two years, the firm has branded its climate change practice as a "single source" to support "key decisions related to climate change" for any corporation with existing or potential exposure to climate change regulation.
The firm's climate change expertise has evolved as the issue became a greater concern for clients, especially in the energy sector. Since its 2005 IPO, IHS has acquired scores of companies, including several that boosted its capacity in the climate change arena. In 2008, it acquired 50% ownership of maritime data firm Lloyds Register- Fairplay, which brought an emissions model for seaborne transport. Two other recent acquisitions helped the firm build an environmental data management business.
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