Environmental, Social & Governance
Our ESG Framework
Our approach to ESG provides a cohesive framework for measuring and communicating our impact as an organization— particularly as it applies to our people, our clients, our consultants, the communities we serve, and the world at large. Environmental considerations take into account how we perform as stewards of our planet; social criteria encompass our relationship with, and impact on, employees, suppliers, clients and communities; while governance focuses on, among other aspects, our leadership, succession planning and internal controls. ESG also provides a unified foundation for communicating the key considerations and actions that align with our Core Purpose, our Core Values and our brand promise of Genuine Ingenuity.
Gresham Smith is Carbon Neutral
We’re proud to be carbon neutral for the our 2022 business operations, and we look forward to continuing to calculate and offset our carbon footprint on an annual basis.
Environmental
Our Environmental focus is rooted in working closely with our clients—advocating for responsible stewardship and helping them increase efficiency and reduce negative environmental impacts resulting from their operations. Our experience and passion uniquely position us to provide workable, sustainable, healthy and holistic solutions that address both current and future challenges. Across our firm, we also work to minimize waste and reduce our carbon footprint as we strive for a healthier, more sustainable and resilient future.
Goal 1: Develop, Capture and Report Design Metrics
Develop, capture and report metrics associated with our sustainability and resiliency design commitments to reduce— and ultimately eliminate—negative environmental impacts.
Our Commitments:
- AIA 2030 Commitment (Toward Net-Zero Operational Carbon)
- SE 2050 Commitment (Toward Net-Zero Embodied Carbon)
2024 Accomplishments:
For years, we have provided annual updates on our AIA 2030 and SE 2050 progress. In 2024, we successfully rolled out a fully integrated strategy to capture project performance energy analysis data for eligible projects. The standardized, automated metric collection process provides real-time feedback for project teams to compare design outcomes and strategies while populating data for on-demand reporting. The transformational project execution and increased visibility into project performance data have been key accomplishments.
We also continue to make progress on the development of a resiliency scorecard to assess and document the impacts of climate on individual projects. As part of our commitment to conservation, we became an active contributor to the mindful MATERIALS AEC Forum. The forum is leading the way in implementing and normalizing the use of the Common Materials Framework, a significant milestone in the standardization of a complex industry.
Goal 2: Develop, Capture and Report Business Metrics
Develop, capture and report metrics associated with our business operations to reduce—and ultimately eliminate—negative environmental impacts.
Our Commitments:
- Annual GHG Emissions Audit (Operational Carbon)
- Healthy + Sustainable Workplace Policy
2024 Accomplishments:
We achieved carbon neutrality for our 2022 and 2023 business operations. We’ve carefully selected carbon credits that financially support nature preservation, the avoidance and destruction of industrial refrigerants, and long-term carbon removal technologies in the geographies where we work and live.
As we build out new office spaces, we are also focused on achieving environmental building certifications, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Fitwel designations, as appropriate.
Learn About our Sustainability & Resiliency Services
We’re passionate about providing advisory, planning and design services that reduce the impact of the built environment and safeguard communities.
Social
Our Social focus is driven by our company culture and engagement in activities that create healthy and thriving communities. Our company culture drives what we do, and our Core Values of Commitment, Integrity, Respect and Teamwork are foundational to our every interaction. Whether it’s working to ensure that each employee feels valued while having the opportunity for personal growth and professional development or whether it’s giving back to the communities we serve, we believe that each of us has the opportunity—and the responsibility—to have a positive impact on the lives of those around us.
Goal 1: Cultivate Inclusive Culture
Cultivate a professional, inclusive culture where all employees feel that they belong, are valued and have opportunities to thrive—both personally and professionally.
Our Commitments:
- Perform compensation analysis for all employees, including firmwide transparent communications regarding our compensation philosophy.
- Adopt best practices to provide all employees with the opportunity for professional growth and personal development through education and awareness, recruitment and workforce development.
- Ensure a safe and respectful workplace.
- Seek feedback through surveys and one-on-one interactions to consistently improve our firm’s culture and engagement.
2024 Accomplishments:
The results of our commitment to fostering a professional and inclusive culture have been clearly demonstrated through our employee engagement survey, which saw a 92% employee participation rate. Our overall combined favorability score was 88%, and we saw positive growth in the areas of meaning, autonomy, growth and impact.
Goal 2: Support Employee Professional Growth and Personal Development
Commitment to supporting our employees’ professional growth and personal development through individualized career plans focused on their goals.
Our Commitments:
- Leadership Evolution and Advancement Program (LEAP)
- Flem Smith Mentorship Program
- Build U Program
- Blueprint for Supervisory Excellence
- Internal and external learning and development, including licensure preparation and reimbursement, and access to CEUs
- Support and encouragement to participate in professional organizations
2024 Accomplishments:
Because we believe that education and continuous learning are fundamental to both personal development and professional growth, we’ve made substantial investments to foster learning among employees at all stages of their careers. Our leaders are benefiting from initiatives such as our Leadership Evolution and Advancement Program (LEAP) and Supervisor Blueprint Program, while our Flem Smith Mentorship Program provides a formalized approach for mentors and mentees to connect and create meaningful, one-on-one relationships.
Goal 3: Commit Time and Resources to Community Engagement
Commit time and resources—from both the firm and from individuals—to support community organizations that are having a positive impact on community well-being, health and wellness, and education/STEM-related causes.
Our Commitment:
- The Batey Gresham Philanthropic Program
- Tiered level of giving: firmwide, local and individual
- Volunteer matching hours
- Community Impact Award
2024 Accomplishments:
Community engagement aligns directly with our Core Purpose to plan, design and consult to create healthy and thriving communities. Through our Batey Gresham Philanthropic Program, we’ve donated more than $975,000 to charitable and civic organizations and matched more than 1,000 employee volunteer hours. In addition, our annual Celebration event has a dedicated Community Impact Award to recognize individuals, teams and offices making a positive contribution to the world around us.
Governance
Our commitment to Governance as a privately-owned general partnership begins in our boardroom and with our Core Values to ensure that we plan and execute the key elements of a strategic plan that is balanced and supports the long-term health and stability of our firm. Our robust operational and management systems are geared toward upholding high standards of integrity, accountability and operational excellence while also providing agility to adjust to new challenges and opportunities.
Goal 1: Govern Partnership with Clearly Defined Policies and Procedures
Govern our partnership with clearly defined policies and procedures built on a foundation of ethical principles, demonstrated commitment to transparent compliance, and a robust internal oversight structure.
Our Commitments:
- Core Values
- Oversight and Accountability
- Compliance Training
2024 Accomplishments:
As part of our oversight framework, we’ve conducted audits related to internal controls, finances, cybersecurity and project quality control processes. Our employees completed multiple compliance training activities that were carefully selected to align our workforce and respond to the evolving landscape of various external risks, and we completed various policy and procedure updates—including human resources program enhancements—to benefit our employees and owners. As part of our efforts to provide transparency and clarity into the expectations we have for our employees, we developed a summary of key behaviors expected within each of our Core Values.
Goal 2: Maintain Smart, Sustainable, Strategic Business Model
Maintain a strategic focus on a smart, sustainable and resilient business model that is built around the firm’s long-term health and stability.
Our Commitments:
- Plan the Work/Work the Plan
- Expanding Our Vision
- Valued and Aligned Services
2024 Accomplishments:
We’re pleased to report that in 2024 we exceeded our overall business plan goals and continued to grow the firm in both revenue and people in a smart and sustainable manner. We also developed a “Future of Practice” Digital Transformation Roadmap to drive how we deliver projects in the future, and we’ve continued to fund significant innovation initiatives to ensure we capitalize on the rapid changes in technology and the overall A/E industry.
Each of our market sectors has also developed a five-year market strategic plan which, along with a series of long-term visioning exercises with the board, owners and employees at large, will set the stage for a new firmwide five-year strategic plan.
Goal 3: Proactively Manage Risk to Protect Stakeholders
Proactively manage our risk to protect our stakeholders.
Our Commitments:
- Enterprise Risk Management
- Project Risk Management
- Professional Qualification
- Continuity
2024 Accomplishments:
We’ve continued to consistently apply risk management procedures to address potential project risks, along with our overall business risks. In addition, our board of directors’ governance committee has evaluated and developed a new risk registry tool, which will be used to manage and document our advanced planning efforts for the most critical risk types that may impact the firm.