Sustainability report 2024
Environment
Next: Health and safety
We are passionately committed to the development of a future shaped by an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable global society.
Responsible environmental management is fundamental to our operations and services and is integral to our business planning and project excellence. To ensure we make a positive impact, we continually evaluate our own impact on the environment and adhere to our policies and processes.
Our environment and sustainability experts collaborate with project teams and clients, service contractors, and suppliers to deliver environmentally friendly, innovative solutions to environmental challenges.
Our environmental progress
In the past year, we have made great strides in our commitment to the environment and to sustainability, reducing our footprint and fostering innovation. Through targeted initiatives, we have reduced our waste production and water use, and improved energy efficiency.
Reducing waste in our offices is a significant area in which we can contribute to a more sustainable future. We have seen a 12% decrease in waste weight generation and were able to divert 35% of our waste (the rate of waste diverted from a facility without burn or incineration).
Assessment Criteria | Unit | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Paper consumption* | kg | 4,693 | 5,043 | 5,517 |
Waste weight generation* | Mt | 75 | 73 | 83 |
Waste diversion rate* | % | 35 | 30 | 27 |
- *Geographic coverage includes all owned offices in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) covered under our ISO 14001 certification
Water is a vital resource for the environment and our operations. As part of our commitment to sustainability, the importance of reducing water consumption and improving water efficiency across our facilities is crucial to conserving this vital natural resource, environmental stewardship, and efficient resource management.
Our overall water use has decreased by 21%.

Environmental stewardship
Every employee plays a role in ensuring our work aligns with sound environmental management and sustainable development principles. We operate our offices in a safe, environmentally, and socially responsible manner.
To ensure a culture of environmental awareness, we:
- Align our activities with our Sustainability Policy
- Employ our Environmental Management System (EMS) to identify, monitor, and control activities and processes that have, or may have, significant impacts and risks on the environment and/or employee-led green initiatives
- “Walk the talk” by reducing our own environmental footprint
- Leverage the skills of our environment and sustainability experts to improve our environmental impact within our internal initiatives and client projects
- Provide continual external communication regarding our commitment to the environment.
With the rising need for sustainable practices and a reduced carbon footprint, it’s never been more important to find balance between industrial operations and natural resources. By prioritizing the people and places we serve, we can safeguard the path to decarbonization and develop new strategies to protect our complicated world.
Monitoring and controlling environmental impacts and risks
Our Hatch Environmental Management System (HEMS) is designed to identify, monitor, and manage our environmental impacts and risks in compliance with the laws and customs of the countries where we work.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the non-governmental organization that develops these standards. Their ISO 14001 is an international standard that outlines the requirements for an EMS.
HEMS is ISO 14001 certified, and we have maintained this certification since 2014. The certification includes engineering, procurement, project and construction management, commissioning, and operations service consulting.
Our HEMS team monitors significant environmental aspects—activities, products, or services—that can interact with the environment in a positive or negative way. This monitoring includes:
- Project and non-project travel
- Building operations, primarily for Hatch-owned buildings
- Paper consumption
- Waste (non-hazardous and e-waste)
- Cafeteria operations.
Environmental management experts
Rob and Christina play pivotal roles in our Environment and Sustainability team. Part of their function is to ensure the continual adherence to applicable standards and regulations, including all requirements of ISO 14001:2015.
Thanks to Rob and Christina’s diligence as environmental management experts, there were no non-conformance issues in our 2023 audit—a significant achievement, which Rob and Christina humbly say is a testament to the meticulousness of the larger HEMS team.
“We’ve got people from facilities and operations, human resources, and other groups that make it all happen,” said Christina. “The fact that we didn’t receive any non-conformances is a highlight. It shows that we're well organized and that the system is doing its job. I think sometimes that can be just as big of an accomplishment as, say, achieving a very specific environmental goal.” Rob, who leads our HEMS efforts, agreed.
“I think we need to give a shoutout to all those who come up with new ideas and help us maintain our certification,” said Rob. “Christina and I guide and direct HEMS, but they’re the ones actually doing the implementation.”
Both have been particularly impressed with our collaborative culture and the positive impact it’s had on HEMS.
“It’s really interesting to see how over the years, our people have made HEMS a daily practice,” shared Christina, who is responsible for ensuring compliance to policies and procedures and who oversees hazardous waste handling and disposal herself. “In the past, many may not have thought about the environmental impacts of their jobs. Now, I think people have caught on and are starting to understand that no matter what their job or role is, we can all make a positive impact.”
Conservation and restoration
Our environmental management strategies are essential to achieving our conservation and restoration goals. Whether it’s for projects at our offices or worksites, we strive to meet the ISO requirements to develop plans, implement improvements, and measure and verify results. This ensures consistency and quality, environmental responsibility, operational efficiency, and safety.
Green procurement policy: Leading by example
We use an environmentally responsible procurement approach in all contractual agreements for offices under the scope of the HEMS. In general, the approach requires contractors to be selected and managed according to our contractor selection and management procedure. During this selection process, contractors are asked to provide environmentally preferred products and services that:
Biodiversity
We are dedicated to preserving forests, protecting biodiversity, and responsibly managing land resources through innovative practices and partnerships.
Striving to align with the Global Biodiversity Framework targets and the Nature Positive Initiative
We’ve recently partnered with Etifor, a consultancy based in Italy, in parallel with the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework and building on progress made at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in late 2024. This partnership aims to deliver comprehensive services to organizations striving to align with the Global Biodiversity Framework targets and the Nature Positive Initiative.
The global goal is to become nature positive by 2030 and achieve full nature recovery by 2050, ensuring that thriving ecosystems and nature-based solutions continue to support future generations. The Etifor partnership promotes the development of innovative solutions that help organizations assess, manage, and disclose their nature-related risks and opportunities via frameworks such as the Taskforce for Nature Related Financial Disclosure.
“All industries, including the extractive industries, rely heavily on natural capital, which includes minerals that are fundamental for manufacturing and the renewable energy transition. There is a growing realization that intrinsic links between business and nature are not only essential for navigating corporate risks but also for creating new opportunities for growth and business longevity. Our partnership with Etifor will allow us to support businesses in terms of emerging regulations and, just as importantly, promote sustainable growth for our clients.”
— Freddy Brookes, principal environmental scientist at Hatch
Protecting migratory birds including the federally protected Bobolink
Our environmental team started an initiative to protect migratory birds, including the federally protected Bobolink, that annually nest in an overgrown field near one of our Mississauga, Canada, offices.
Bobolinks have been assessed with a special concern by the Committee of the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada and are listed under the Species at Risk Act. Bobolink populations are declining because of the loss of prairies and other grasslands habitats.
The team proactively reached out to our facilities and building operations group, which recommended the optimal grass height and mowing schedule for creating an ideal habitat. The environmental team also conducts nest sweeps before mowing during the breeding season to protect the birds. This work, which has become an annual practice, protects wildlife and serves as an example for other employees.
Resource management
Our goal is to optimize the use of resources to make our offices and client sites as sustainable as possible. To that end, we focus on energy efficiency, waste reduction, water conservation, transportation, and green initiatives in our buildings and surrounding landscapes.
Canada’s Greenest Employer
For the eighth year in a row, we were named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers. This achievement is part of an annual competition, hosted by Mediacorp Canada Inc. The competition identifies organizations that demonstrate leadership in promoting a culture of environmental consciousness by applying sustainability and climate change initiatives that attract employees seeking the opportunity to contribute to positive change through environmental leadership.
Actively monitoring waste generation
Our Medellin office actively monitors daily waste generation, categorizing it into three sources: organics, recyclables, and non-recyclables. The office has implemented a Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment program and has dedicated bins on each floor for e-waste collection. In 2024, we successfully collected 106.3 kg of waste and delivered it to a reliable third-party company for proper disposal.
Environment & Sustainability consulting
We are passionately committed to the development of a future shaped by a sustainable global society. We recognize that climate change hinders this vision by negatively affecting natural ecosystems, economic returns, and community development. The resolution of this complex global problem will require multiple simultaneous strategies. We are doing this as an organization to reduce our environmental impact, and we help our clients and communities do it too.
We aim to provide sustainable solutions that optimize environmental protection, economic prosperity, social justice, and cultural vibrancy.
Our complete list of capabilities can be found here.

Bridging heritage and innovation: The Waaban Crossing success story
The 1.2-kilometer-long Waaban Crossing bridge spans the Cataraqui River in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, forming part of the Rideau Canal, a federally regulated navigable waterway designated as a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.
As part of the design team, we implemented measures throughout the pre-construction and construction phases to improve design efficiency and productivity, while considering the bridge’s proximity to the area where the Cataraqui River forms part of the Rideau Canal Heritage site, and other site-specific conditions.
Reduced the overall in-water footprint by more than 50%.
During the environmental assessment (EA) phase, we optimized the bridge design to reduce the overall in-water footprint by more than 50%. We also collaborated with Federal, Provincial, and Heritage regulators, as well as members of the surrounding Indigenous and residential communities, minimizing the visual impact to the historic site.
In 2024, we began the first year of our six-year post-construction monitoring plan to report on various environmental conditions. Monitoring included surveys on surface water quality, sediment quality, wetland invertebrate communities, least bittern populations, amphibians, migratory waterfowl, bathymetry, aquatic vegetation, and fish community habitats.
Post-construction work also involved animal road mortality monitoring to determine the effectiveness of the on-site wildlife exclusionary fencing and gathering data for planning turtle compensation measures.
Our teams won an Award of Distinction from the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies of Ontario and the Transportation Association of Canada's (TAC) Infrastructure Achievement Award for our work on the Waaban Crossing Kingston Third Crossing project.
Employee-led green initiatives
In each of our major offices, volunteers organize and implement various initiatives to raise environmental awareness. These initiatives include:
- Community gardens and tree planting
- Participation in government energy and environment programs
- Park clean-up programs, where employees volunteer to reduce waste and increase overall cleanliness at Lakeside Park
- Discouraging the use and sale of single-use plastic cups and bottles.
Meeting regulatory requirements and earning trust
Kathleen Vukovics takes a long view when it comes to sustainability.
After two decades at Hatch, this environmental and social impact specialist has developed a steady vision rooted in one powerful principle: leave the world better than you found it.
“I like to think about future generations,” Kathleen says. “I think about my children’s children, and what the world is going to be like for them.”
The mindset drives her work across complex infrastructure and energy projects. Whether it’s air quality, noise concerns, or water impacts, Kathleen fosters collaboration to help clients not only meet regulatory requirements but to also earn the trust of communities.
“You want to take a project to the public early,” she explains. “Ask what their concerns are, bring that feedback back, and shape the project in a way that addresses those concerns from the start. That makes it more likely to get permitted with less opposition.”
For Kathleen, Hatch’s strength lies in its ability to integrate environmental and engineering expertise.
“We’re uniquely positioned to solve tough challenges,” she says. “If you understand what you’re trying to achieve early in the design process, you can work toward that common goal, leading to fewer environmental and social concerns.”
“Often clients come to us with complex projects and ask, ‘How do we get this permitted?’ or ‘How do we meet this sustainability goal?’ We help them gain certainty around cost and schedule, whether its advancing technical modeling for noise and vibration or developing community engagement strategies.”
Recently Kathleen was surprised to see her career had come full circle.
“Early in my career, I worked on an environmental assessment for one of the largest wind facilities in Canada at the time. Twenty years later, the same client is repowering that site—and I have the privilege of leading the team of engineers and scientists who are going to assess this project again. It’s a great opportunity to reflect on how far the industry has come.”
Reflecting on her time at Hatch, she sums it up simply: “I’m very proud. We’re a company full of people taking every opportunity to drive positive change.”