Edmonton-based sustainable design, architecture, engineering and environmental consulting firm Stantec Inc. (STN-T) has released its 18th annual sustainability report, showcasing a year of notable achievements.

The corporate giant reported $4.63 billion in 2024 revenue tied to projects aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), representing 62 per cent of gross revenue – a small but demonstrable increase from 2023.

Stantec now sources 97 per cent of its energy needs from renewable electricity, up from 96 per cent in 2023. In addition, the company reported 16 per cent net revenue growth in 2024, which it considers further confirmation that sustainability and profitability go hand-in-hand.

The company also achieved operational carbon neutrality for the third straight year and continued its steady advance toward a net-zero future under Canada’s Net Zero Challenge.

"Stantec’s integrated approach to sustainability delivers long-term value and underpins our continued strong financial performance," Gord Johnston, president and CEO of Stantec, said in a release accompanying the report.

The company's longstanding commitment to decarbonization continues to earn it international recognition: it now ranks No. 8 in Corporate Knights’ Global 100, a list of the most sustainable corporations in the world. That is up from ninth the previous year. 

"Sustainability is proceeding extremely well at Stantec," Carrie Sabin, Stantec senior vice-president, corporate sustainability, said in an interview with Sustainable Biz Canada. "Sustainability is part of our strategy, part of how we operate, and (informs) every level of our organization . . .

"We map our sustainable revenue against 17 SDGs and 169 sub-goals and we continue to see every year positive results from our effort to embed sustainability into our business culture and mindset."

Highlights from the sustainability report

Stantec's 2024 sustainability report also highlighted five transformative projects from across its global operational spectrum which testify to the varied nature of its progress: 

• Australia: Deployment of the world’s first submerged and floating artificial reef dive attraction, promoting ocean conservation along the Gold Coast. 
• Canada: In response to climate change impacting Canada's Arctic region, a Stantec team recommended targeted excavation and on-site treatment of contaminants to minimize the potential impact of climate change on Nunavut’s Brevoort Island.
• United Kingdom: Stantec worked with local authorities, agencies and utilities in Greater Manchester to develop a collaborative and sustainable integrated water management plan. 
• United States: The company worked with neighbouring communities in Nevada, Oregon and California to obtain federal and state permitting for a 698-kilometre new underground fiber optic network. 
• Uruguay: Stantec developed a comprehensive infrastructure assessment and corresponding environmental baseline for the country's aging Salto Grande Hydroelectric Plant, recommending upgrades to boost electric output by 200 gigawatt-hours annually.

"Every project has a sustainability opportunity," Sabin emphasized. "Regardless of whether the client is moving towards sustainability or whether the project is focused on sustainability, you can make any project more sustainable by applying that mindset to the design approach you take."

Progress on Scope 1 and 2 emissions, Scope 3 presents challenges

During her tenure at Stantec, Sabin has seen encouraging signs from the company's clients and partners in increasing recognition of the importance of decarbonization.

"We've seen positive results from our program that is focused on encouraging good behaviour and how we are supporting companies to make progress towards reducing their emissions," she said. "It's this beautiful framework where companies respond to your questions regarding sustainability concerns, indicating how they will support you and work with you in any way possible towards this goal."

With over 34,000 employees in 450 offices across six continents, Stantec is highly conscious of the carbon footprint of its built environment.

"When we're making office choice decisions, we actively work with landlords, trying to encourage them to install solar or wind or geothermal. And wherever we pay the utility bill directly, we work with the utility company to purchase renewable energy from them . . . I'm also proud that we have just signed our first virtual PPA (power purchase agreement)," Sabin said.

But while Stantec continues to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions – enlarging its fleet of low-emission vehicles, increasing its proportion of energy-efficient office space – Scope 3 emissions have proven more difficult to mitigate.

"I'm actually pretty proud when we look at our progress in achieving per-person emission reductions, particularly through reducing business travel, which is significant given that we are growing pretty substantially as a company.

"Scope 3 is hard because . . . you can't control it and honestly, the rules keep changing. The more data you access, the more your numbers tend to increase – not necessarily due to a real increase but simply as a result of having better data.

"We are focused on reducing business travel as part of our Scope 3 strategy . . . We work hard to reduce the number of flights we take, explore alternative travel options where possible, and continue to prioritize areas that we can control," Sabin said.

The road to a sustainable future

In her capacity as head of sustainability at Stantec, Sabin said she has benefitted from the full backing of the corporate boardroom. The company launched its sustainability program in 2006 and has maintained that commitment. 

"Stantec's board of directors has a committee focused on sustainability and every single board meeting addresses topics connected to sustainability," Sabin said. "I'm present at every quarterly meeting because it's an issue that engages our board members completely and that's because sustainability represents who we are as a company.

"It's what we believe in."