Given the present emphasis on climate change and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), investment in these services is rapidly increasing. Energy and utilities, chemicals, and construction are the industries with the most demand for environmental consulting companies. These three industries are expected to account for more than half of the market spend on environment, health, and safety consulting services.

What is the Definition of Environmental Consulting?

It is sometimes a compliance, in which environmental consulting companies focus on assisting the customer in meeting government regulations. Firms can hire environmental consultants to help plan and implement initiatives that position the company and its brand as a good environmental steward. Environmental consulting organizations can offer engineering and design, construction/project management, equipment manufacturing, operations outsourcing, and R&D.

What is the Job of an Environmental Consultant?

Environmental consultants give their clients specialist assessment and consulting services on environmental management concerns. As a result, these folks play an essential role in lowering the environmental impact of industrial, commercial, and government initiatives. As an environmental consultant, you will conduct extensive audits and measure environmental pollution within and outside the client organization’s premises to evaluate current environmental policy, management systems, and processes. Following this assessment, you will assist customers in designing and implementing efficient systems and processes to prevent existing and future environmental damage. You will also ensure that new environmental policies and procedures comply with environmental laws and regulations. You can also raise organizational understanding about the importance of conservation, sustainability, and other environmental issues.

Environmental consulting businesses typically engage environmental consultants with a client base, including governmental and private sector organizations. Some environmental experts may even own and operate their consulting firm. A considerable proportion of consultants are hired by major industrial enterprises in the manufacturing and production sectors, where environmental management is an integral part of their daily operations.

How to Launch an Environmental Consulting Company?

Customers, clients, the government, and the general public push businesses to be more environmentally friendly. ESG consulting companies provide expertise and direction to businesses so that they can green their way to a brighter future. Nowadays, most countries are experiencing a surge in the spirit of entrepreneurship, with creative minds devising innovative company concepts to meet people’s needs while generating a profit. The following are the steps to starting an environmental consulting company:

1. Make a Plan and a Strategy

Plan and lay out the specifics of your ESG consulting endeavor. In the first step, decide on a name for your company, the audience you want to reach, continuing and start-up costs, how much you want to charge your clients, and so on. One of the most significant advantages of this business is that it may serve all other types of companies, such as manufacturers, restaurants, construction, tourism, landscaping, and so on. Next, select what services and solutions you want to offer and create a short list of brands and corporations to target.

2. Create Your Brand

Remember this: your brand is what your company stands for and how the public views it. A well-defined brand will set your company apart from the competitors. Furthermore, marketing and promotion of your business should be direct. Determine your target consumers’ demands and let them know you have the experience and skills to help them. You can efficiently attain this goal by running social media campaigns and exchanging emails and journals.

3. Make an Investment in Your Company’s Website

As previously stated, we live in a digital age. People are eager to learn about practically any product, service, and solution offered online. As a result, it is critical to create a distinct, informative, and user-friendly website that encourages visitors to browse your products and services.

4. Obtain Business Insurance

Your environmental consulting firm, like permits and licenses, requires insurance to operate legally and safely. Comprehensive business insurance protects your company’s financial well-being in the case of a disaster. You can select from various insurance products designed for diverse enterprises with varying risks. However, if you need help anticipating the risks your company may face, start with General Liability Insurance.

5. Make the Most of Your Network

Among all of the preceding processes, register your company as a legal entity and file taxes on it. Next, while establishing your environmental consulting company, ensure your bookkeeping is well-organized. Finally, spread the word about your newly founded ESG enterprise through your network.

Which are the Top Environmental Consulting Companies in the USA?

In 2023, environmental companies will become increasingly prominent in the United States. As governments and consumers continue to pressure businesses to decrease their environmental effects, sustainability consulting services are in great demand to assist organizations in developing plans that satisfy these criteria. These consultants can advise on various areas, including energy efficiency, waste reduction, resource management, and carbon emissions. They also offer advice on how to adopt sustainable solutions in the workplace and create measures to track success. Following are the top environmental consulting companies in the USA:

AECOM – Los Angeles, CA

AECOM is a professional services infrastructure corporation based in Los Angeles with operations worldwide. Its initiatives include transportation, buildings, water, government, energy, and the environment, in addition to environmental consulting. The company creates, plans, consults on, and oversees construction projects. AECOM, a publicly traded company with over $13 billion in revenue, is dedicated to assisting public and private sector clients in addressing complex technological problems related to ESG issues.

TETRA TECH – Pasadena, California

Tetra Tech is a publicly traded pure-play environmental consulting corporation with over $2 billion in sales and 20,000 employees. It offers high-end consulting and engineering services for projects all around the world. Typically, projects address challenging issues in water, the environment, sustainable infrastructure, and renewable energy. Its goal is to “Lead with Science®” to create resilient solutions.

JACOBS – Dallas, TX

Jacobs, headquartered in Dallas, is a $13 billion publicly traded environment-focused consulting firm with 52,000 people globally. Its consulting services focus on connectivity and sustainability, with projects focusing on intelligence/preparedness, water, infrastructure, renewal, discovery, and mobility.

ICF – Fairfax, VA

With approximately 7,000 people, ICF is a publicly traded global environmental consulting services organization. Its staff comprises business analysts, policy experts, digital strategists, data scientists, and creatives. Health and social projects (45%), energy, environment, and infrastructure (41%), safety and security (8%), and consumer and financial (6%). Projects are classified into three types: advising and strategy, program management, and technology and analytics.

TRC – Boston, MA

TRC has approximately 100 offices in the United States and a few overseas sites. It is a market leader in providing professional services to public and private clientele. The firm’s specialties include emergency management planning, technology, environmental safety and well-being management, procuring and building, legal and environmental compliance, and cleanup and materials management. It offers both pure consultancy and building and contracting services. They are one of three environmental consulting organizations in Boston, MA, demonstrating again that Boston is a consulting mecca.

TRINITY CONSULTANTS – Dallas, TX

Trinity is a one-of-a-kind consulting firm that specializes in three areas: environmental health and safety (for example, air quality, climate change, waste management, and water quality), engineering (for example, building services, process safety, and engine certification), and science (for example, aquatic environmental services, toxicology). However, besides advising, it provides technical services such as software design, staffing, and training.

HALEY & ALDRICH – Boston, Massachusetts

Haley and Aldrich is a private, US-focused environmental and geotechnical engineering consultant company with offices near Boston. It primarily involves environmental health and safety compliance, construction assistance, contaminated site management, geotechnical resources, and water management.

ANCHOR QEA – Seattle, WA

Anchor QEA, headquartered in Seattle, offers environmental consulting and related services in four primary areas: engineering, environmental assistance, planning and restoration, and analytics. Industrial (chemical manufacturing, quarrying, railways, and shipyards), Electricity (coal ash elimination, hydroelectric power, produced gas, green energy, and conventional oil and gas), and Governmental (federal, state, local, and ports/harbors) are among the markets covered.

GZA – Boston, MA

GZA completes our list of environmental consulting firms in Boston, MA. GZA is a worker-owned company that offers geotechnical, ecological, environmentally friendly, water, and project management services. It employs over 700 people throughout offices in the New England region, the Mid-Atlantic, and the U.S. Midwest. Its focus industries include buildings, real estate, energy, administration, industrial, construction, transportation, and water. Construction management, data visualization, EHS compliance, and geotechnical engineering are among the services offered. However, all services are deemed “advisory” in nature.

PARTNER ENGINEERING – Torrance, CA

Partner Engineering offers a comprehensive range of consulting services, including environmental consulting, remediation, civil engineering, site management, land surveying, and OH&S compliance. It operates in various areas and serves both public and private clients. Its full-service engineering, environmental, and energy consulting serves clients throughout the life cycle of a project. Initial due diligence, design, development, construction, and continuous maintenance and optimization are all responsibilities of the partner.

Conclusion

Environmental consulting is a popular topic these days. These environmental consulting companies perform essential work for businesses, governments, and society, assisting enterprises in finding solutions to combine bottom-line and ESG concerns. Finance, management, and technological backgrounds are desirable for these organizations’ positions. However, a science or technical background would serve you well in employment with top US environmental consulting companies, more so than in traditional management consulting.

FAQs

Q1. How many environmental consulting companies exist in the United States?

As of 2023, there are 63,309 Environmental Consulting companies in the United States, a 2.1% growth from 2022.

Q2. What exactly does an environmental consulting company do?

Environmental consultants give their clients specialist assessment and consulting services on environmental management concerns. As a result, these folks play an essential role in lowering the environmental impact of industrial, commercial, and government initiatives.

Q3. What is the goal of an environmental consultant?

Environmental consultants review and analyze national, local, and provincial policies. This enables them to provide recommendations to clients and businesses. These regulations also inform environmental experts about project restrictions and the procedures to follow when impediments develop.

Also Read: How To Become A Sustainability Consultant?