It’s been over a year since I left my role as COO at the Environment Agency and joined Thomson Environmental Consultants. The time has flown past, and I wanted to share some reflections on the last year.
I joined Thomson because I believed that, if managed correctly, business and the environment can help each other flourish. The good news is that I think that is still true, but there are some vital ingredients that you need to enable it to happen.
- People who understand the environment and know their stuff
- People that know how to work with clients help them de risk their projects, and make the environment even better
- People who know the regulations inside out and can translate that knowledge to pragmatic solutions on the ground
- Clients that engage early to get the best possible expert input and the broadest possible window to act
- A business that trains, develops, and supports its people to be the best they can be for clients and each other
A force for environmental good
I have always been a big believer in the power of the private sector and its potential to be a force for environmental good. The scale of the resources, pace of change, ability to drive innovation and investment, and forward-thinking nature of the private sector are unmatched. If, at Thomson, we can help harness the power of business to enhance the environment, then that seems like a pretty good reason to get out of bed every morning.
Climate change is here, environmental degradation is negatively affecting communities up and down the country, and biodiversity loss is threatening the flora and fauna that we appreciate every day. The complexity of environmental regulations and the lack of end-to-end solutions can perplex businesses.
I have found that with the right advice, this doesn’t have to be the case. Our people at Thomson offer expertise in all ecosystems, from the bottom of the sea to the tops of mountains, and understand the complexity of environmental regulation. We provide a one-stop shop to work with to help mitigate environmental risk and with services in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecology, biodiversity net gain and nature markets, hydrology, marine laboratory services, habitat creation and management, geospatial data management and mapping and arboriculture.
Working in partnership for positive environmental change
Thomson works in partnership with clients to manage environmental risks in a way that is cost-effective, good for the workforce, good for the client, and, above all, good for business. This allows the company to focus on the things they care about and are expert in, rather than spending all their time and money fighting the consequences that ignoring the environment can bring.
Thomson is committed to excellence; in fact, it’s one of our core values. I’ve seen the team manage even the most challenging projects and, in doing so, help clients mitigate environmental risk.
At Thomson, we have all the ingredients: people who know their stuff, are excellent with clients, and find pragmatic solutions.
In return, we need early engagement from our clients. Demand within the sector is now outstripping the supply of professional consultants. Large infrastructure projects and the burgeoning growth in green infrastructure schemes (wind / solar / hydrogen) will require vast numbers of surveyors and other green professionals.
The importance of project resourcing early
These schemes have extended programs and are resourcing well in advance. That means that as other schemes come online, they compete for a much-reduced pool of expert environmental advice. Therefore, it is even more imperative to consider environmental requirements in the earliest stages of a scheme. The greater the lead-in time, the more likely resources can be secured, environmental risks can be mitigated, and green opportunities can be maximised.
Our approach to resourcing and ability to generate extensive survey and mitigation teams sets us apart from competitors. Engaging with Thomson early allows us to scale up to meet project requirements and ensure that resources are delivered without interruption. As projects inevitably change and the scope of requirements grows, we work tirelessly with clients to achieve resourcing and keep projects on track. And as the demand for maximising green opportunities grows, so does our expertise and willingness to help you discover what those are.
Maintaining an agile workforce in a seasonal business isn’t easy. We are working hard to help and support our people in managing their work-life balance, getting the training they need for their continuing professional development, and doing a variety of interesting work. Without brilliant people, we don’t have any of the key ingredients to enable business and nature to thrive together, and that is what we are here to do.
So, talk to us early. We are here to help. We have built our reputation on balancing clients’ objectives alongside our responsibility to the environment.
