We're continuing our journey through 13 different services offered by sustainability consultants, and today we're focusing on the #7 most popular type of offering:
7. Built Environment/Environmental Consulting (32.0%)
Built environment, land development, design/build, and environmental consulting.
The majority of the firms that focus on the built environment and environmental consulting are at their core design/build firms and may offer sustainability consulting as an add-on. Also the consulting these firms offer deals primarily with their focus, which in this case is any physical development, building or land use. This sector is often confused with sustainability consulting because many professionals in this field are referred to as consultants, just not the ‘strategic’ kind.
Common Jargon and Terminology: Architectural Design, Green Building, LEED Consulting, Green Development, Environmental Consulting, etc.
Where You’ve Seen It: YRG Consultants focus on green building and development and are more involved than other developers and designers because they make sure the green message is marketed strategically for their respective developments and projects. Environmental Services Management Group (ESMG) is an example of a firm that primarily offers more of a consulting role on physical projects, but also has a secondary focus on corporate sustainability.
See the other types of sustainability consulting we've already covered:
- #1: Strategic Planning and Implementation
- #2: Training/Education
- #3: Marketing/Communication
- #4: Sustainability Reporting
- #5: Stakeholder Engagement
- #6: Benchmarking and Competitive Analysis
Check out our past blogs to follow the “State of the Sustainability Consulting Industry” series:
- What Sustainability Consulting Is (and Isn’t),
- Types of Sustainability Consulting Organizations,
- By the Numbers: U.S. Sustainability Consulting Market,
- and State of the Sustainability Consulting Industry to learn more about the background for these findings.
If you are a new or aspiring sustainability consultant and would like to take your practice to the next level, check out the 2013 Consultant Cohort: a 6-month intensive program hosted by the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) and led by SSC President Jennifer Woofter.