Environment, Social & Governance
Engineering a Sustainable Future
BG&E has the responsibility and opportunity to have a positive impact on the communities and environments we operate in, and we integrate this mission into our everyday operations, corporate culture and global strategy.
We're proud of the goals we've achieved so far.
Began Charting A Roadmap to Reduce our Whole Lifecycle Carbon
Increased Support for Communities, Winning More Emergency Disaster Reconstruction Projects
Implemented Sustainability in Design Framework to Assist Clients in Achieving their Net Zero Goals
Pursued Innovation in Material Design, Procurement & Digital Twin Technology
- Environmental
- Social
- Governance
- FAQ
ESG
The Path to Carbon Neutrality
We strive to minimise the impacts of our operations, design for long-term resilience and create enduring value for stakeholders, all in alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. This pursuit promotes human wellbeing, equality and a regenerative approach.
Journey to Net Zero
Our Sustainable Actions
In an industry where technology for decarbonising is still in the early stages, there’s much to do and we’re committed to playing our part.
Organisation materiality assessment to determine the supply chain universe and provide direction for future ESG initiatives and targets.
Internal education awareness on embodied carbon and sustainable design innovations for the built environment.
Internal reward and recognition for sustainability design innovations benefiting the built environment and end users with potential cost savings.
External Client education and industry awareness for sustainability in design.
Accreditation Obtaining carbon baseline calculation scheme accreditation.
Digitalising carbon footprint and monitoring our emissions.
Sustainable Design Practice
Our technical command enables us to identify strategic risks and opportunities related to climate change, carbon emissions and social and environmental project legacies.
Taking a customised sustainability approach, we recognise the uniqueness of each project and the value of taking a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to integrating Net Zero and regenerative development initiatives.
How we're reducing carbon emissions:
Our UK engineering teams assess embodied carbon in our designs to gauge performance against benchmark ratings.
We maximise material efficiency within buildings and optimise energy efficiency during operation.
In Australia, we’re managing Infrastructure Sustainability Council rating requirements.
With concrete production responsible for 5% of the industry’s 23% global emissions, BG&E is actively seeking alternative solutions, such as timber, to support the journey to Net Zero.
Our digital engineering team created a tool for early-stage carbon calculations, aiding structural engineers in identifying improvement opportunities.
We prioritise environmentally sustainable design through sustainable materials, recycling, waste reduction, durability, adaptive design, land reclamation and water-sensitive urban planning.
Gender Equality
We recognise that our current gender representation is below a level seen in other similar organisations in the market. BG&E wants to attract more women to work for our business, and we want more of our current employees to reach their potential, to develop our next generation of female leaders from those that are already part of our business. Some steps we are taking to improve the gender balance in our workforce include:
- Established Gender Equality Strategy, including implementation of gender metrics targets by FY25.
- Set up of local level DEI sub-committees to strengthen staff engagement.
- Rolled out a mentoring program for female project professionals sponsored by all ELT members.
- Updated Parental Leave Policy and Flexible Work Policy in line with Gender Equality Strategy.
- Completed unconscious bias training across the organisation from Board and ELT to all employees.
- Imposter Syndrome training and On-site behaviour training to staff.
- BG&E promotes a flexible work environment to allow employees to maintain a work/life balance.
Diverse & Engaging Workplaces
BG&E fosters a 'people-first' culture and advancing a fair, enjoyable and inclusive work environment.
We embrace differences and encourage employees to be their authentic selves at work. In our community, difference means amplifying diverse voices, embracing varying opinions and fostering change discussions. It also involves aligning actions with our values and culture.
Our people are central to our mission and we aim to provide an inclusive, collaborative and growth-oriented experience that inspires and engages, ensuring equal opportunities for career growth.
Our Diversity & Inclusion Committee
The BG&E Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee actively works alongside champions from the Board and Executive Leadership Team and the People & Culture team to improve our DEI landscape.
The DEI Committee focuses on intentionally developing a diverse group of technical professionals to strengthen collective problem-solving skills, which produces optimal project outcomes for Clients and communities.
Addressing gender disparities is a continuous effort in our industry, particularly in gender participation. We collaborate with our teams to enhance female representation in our talent pipelines. Achieving diversity, equality and inclusion demands a sustained commitment and we hold ourselves accountable for ongoing progress.
Reconciliation
BG&E's formalised RAP prioritises Indigenous Australian education, employment and procurement - fostering economic development in First Nation communities. Committed to daily change, we partner with local Indigenous trainers for regular cultural awareness seminars in our Australian offices, valuing and learning from Australia's Indigenous heritage.
BG&E is actively engaged in multiple other Reconciliation initiatives including cultural events, commissioning Aboriginal artworks, cultural awareness training and participation in the National Reconciliation Action Plan Conference. We sponsor the UWA Western Waagyls team, support Indigenous suppliers for clothing, PPE and catering and create employment opportunities.
Community
Worldwide, our teams strive to make a positive impact by tackling technical project challenges and engaging with local communities through grassroots programs. We champion communities where our teams live and work to build strong local partnerships and support various meaningful charities, appeals and STEM programs close to our hearts.
BG&E's Board Committees
BG&E's board has five direct subcommittees that assist and advise the board in decision-making and risk management:
ESG Committee:
Handles ESG matters
People & Remuneration Committee:
Manages people, culture, and remuneration strategies
Finance & Audit Committee:
Ensures financial control and compliance
Safety, Quality & Risk Committee:
Oversees safety, quality, and risk management
Investment Committee:
Advises on investment decisions, balance sheet management, dividend policy, treasury, and capital expenditure
Our Responsibility
ESG Committee
Our Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Committee manages business-wide improvements, compliance and transparency, with a three-part scope of responsibilities.
Environmental
Encompasses energy used, climate change, waste generated and natural resources consumed during operations.
Social
Engaging with communities for equality, social justice and inclusion through volunteering, corporate social responsibility and championing our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).
Governance
Comprises BG&E’s practices, controls and procedures to ensure effective decisions, legal compliance and meeting external stakeholder needs.
“We consciously focus on the ESG aspects of our work in a systematic way, understanding how they are related to our core business, and to the positive impacts we are able to make as engineers.”
Gaye McMath, ESG Chairperson
Our Safety Ethos
We acknowledge our shared responsibility for the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees, supply chain, Clients, subcontractors, stakeholders, visitors and the local communities where we operate.
That's why we prioritise a safe, healthy and eco-conscious workplace, on and off-site. These collective values drive our continuous improvements, adherence to best practices and fortify our dedication to minimising risks across all business operations.
BG&E maintains external certification to various ISO Accreditations for risk management system framework.
Accreditation
This standard verifies certification to the internationally recognised QMS standard. Compliance lifts our outcomes and customer satisfaction by advancing business performance and strategic decision-making.
This widely recognised and utilised standard details optimised EMS requirements. It strengthens our environmental sustainability and cost efficiency by reducing waste and energy use.
This standard fortifies our proactive risk management. Finding and addressing potential hazards boosts morale and safeguards employee wellbeing by reducing accidents, injuries and illnesses and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations.
This globally recognised standard pertains to the entire lifecycle of a built asset, from initial design to decommissioning. Our adherence establishes the benchmark for effective information management across the lifecycle of a built asset using BIM.
Our Quality, Safety & Environment systems are certified to strict JAS-ANZ standards, ensuring we stay informed about industry best practices to deliver the highest quality outcomes.
Our comprehensive supplier assurance for GB Rail ensures open, fair and transparent recognition of our rail engineering design services.
Our attainment of this certificate gives Clients peace of mind by safeguarding against common cyber threats.
Modern Slavery
We have a Modern Slavery statement across the BG&E Group, reflecting our continued opposition to exploitative practices. We acknowledge our responsibility to safeguard human rights through ethical business practices, aligned with the United Nations Guiding Principles and local laws.
While our core business is professional services with low risks of modern slavery, we recognise potential risks in our supply chain and take steps to mitigate them. Our preferred supplier approach promotes good corporate citizenship and the circular economy by partnering with ethical, diverse suppliers.
Support
FAQs
ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance.
Embracing ESG principles is crucial for BG&E as it not only aligns with our commitment to responsible business practices - but also enhances our long-term sustainability, fosters stakeholder trust, and positions us as a socially and ethically conscious organisation in today’s dynamic business landscape.
Protecting and preserving our natural environment is critical to managing the impact of climate change. BG&E is committed to monitoring energy consumption within our workplace(s) and aim to minimise emissions from direct business activities or identification of improvements within nominated supply chains. BG&E’s engineering and technical teams continue to collaborate with Clients, relevant stakeholders or other interested parties to design sustainable built environments.
BG&E has recently begun our ESG journey, and while we are in the early stages, we are committed to proactive engagement with local communities, external stakeholders or other interested parties that are influenced by BG&E business activities or services.
We're in the process of developing our ESG reporting framework to spotlight our current performance in key areas of interest and impact, prioritising effective consultation within key areas. BG&E’s geographical regions aim to identify potential social impacts or opportunities for improvement locally, for escalation to Senior Management and/or appropriate Committee. This initiative aims to provide transparency regarding our strengths and areas for improvement. Additionally, our ESG Committee analyse our performance against external regional and industry trends to gain valuable insights.
BG&E is committed to developing a robust social initiative framework to identify meaningful, achievable targets that maximise value and consideration of local communities, external stakeholders or other interested parties influenced by our business activities, products or services.
Gender Equality is important to us, and we are continually working on attracting more women, not just to BG&E, but to the civil and structural engineering sector.
Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Committee actively works alongside Board and ELT members, as well as our People & Culture team to improve the DE&I Landscape.
Every BG&E office also has a local Social Committee that work along-side the DE&I Committee and P&C Teams to organise internal events such as Harmony Day, Ramadan & Eid, Lunar New Year, International Women’s Day, Pride Month, and NAIDOC Week to name a few.
We have recently formed an LGBT Community at BG&E. This community is a safe and empowering space for our LGBT employees to connect, share experiences, and champion an inclusive work environment – whether they identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, or an ally. Through this community, we also hope to support a feeling of solidarity and support our employees your personal growth.
All our offices support local community initiatives to make a positive impact to people lives. These include STEM program, volunteering and raising funds for worthy causes - e.g. Engineers Without Borders and Dress for Success.
BG&E's formalised Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) prioritises Indigenous Australian education, employment and procurement - fostering economic development in First Nation communities.
Our Board of Directors plays a crucial role in guiding and steering our company toward socially responsible and ethical practices. They are responsible for establishing policies concerning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Corporate Social Responsibility; Community Engagement; Modern Slavery; Health and Safety; and a host of other initiatives regarding the safety, respect, and care of our people. Additionally, the Board monitors our performance in these areas and ensures that management remains accountable for achieving set goals.
BG&E’s board has five direct subcommittees that assist and advise the board in decision-making and risk management.
BG&E’s Executive Leadership team’s role in corporate governance is to implement the strategies and policies set by the board effectively. They are responsible for the day-to-day management of the company and making decisions that align with the board's vision and objectives.
The executive team also provides regular updates to the board on the company's performance and seeks guidance or approval on major decisions when necessary.
In developing our 20-25 business strategy, five themes became apparent in helping shape the strategy, two of these themes are relevant to our ESG initiatives – Inclusiveness and Excellence.
ESG matters are increasingly important considerations in our “business as usual” activities, We do this by consciously focusing on the ESG aspects of our work in a systematic way, and understanding how they are related to our core business and to the positive impacts we can make as engineers.
BG&E’s approach to sustainability draws on our technical expertise, and how this can inform real-world solutions for better outcomes. Our technical depth allows us to go beyond high level targets to identify strategic risks and opportunities for issues such as climate change, carbon emissions, and the social and environmental legacies of our projects. Our tailored approach to sustainability recognises the unique needs of each project to enhance overall project success. Planning for net zero and regenerative development is built into the design process, considering how to achieve these as project objectives from the outset. With this in mind, our growing Sustainability Team has helped to integrate sustainability into civil and buildings projects including:
- Carbon calculations and net zero transition plans
- Managing ISC and other rating schemes requirements
- Integrating sustainability into design through climate change risk and resilience planning, options assessment and developing partnerships for improved project outcomes.
Our technical command enables us to identify strategic risks and opportunities related to climate change, carbon emissions and social and environmental project legacies. Taking a customised sustainability approach, we recognise the uniqueness of each project and the value of taking a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to integrating Net Zero and regenerative development initiatives. At the design level of a project, we can enhance overall success by consciously implementing core sustainability objectives.
We have a Modern Slavery statement across the BG&E Group, reflecting our continued opposition to exploitative practices.
BG&E remains an employee-owned engineering consultancy, fostering a ‘people-first’ culture and promoting a fair, enjoyable and inclusive work environment.
At the heart of BG&E is clever engineering. We are continually pushing the boundaries through new technology and innovations. Some of our recent innovations have included the use of mass timber within structural design, partnering with SmartCrete academic institutions, and the recent addition of the The Helen Alguire Innovation Award.
Timber: We have continued to develop our capabilities in mass timber use in structural design. Over the past two years we have been proactively working with Timber Design Studios and have since formally merged. As a result, a new Timber emerging discipline has formally commenced from July 2023 and offers international timber building design specialities services. There are multiple benefits to using timber - including aesthetics, biophilic design, renewable resource, reduced weight and carbon footprint. Our experiences have enabled us to utilise timber where and when appropriate to enhance the overall design.
SmartCrete is an Australian Government funded cooperative research centre (CRC) where $21 million has been allocated towards supporting industry led research into concrete over eight years. The funds are available to industry and academic groups on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Through SmartCrete, academic institutions are matched with companies on research projects to produce sustainable outcomes. SmartCrete is industry driven and companies have a large say in what research gets done. As concrete is the most widely used material in construction, BG&E has reflected their focus in that area of our Clients need. This is a cost-effective approach for BG&E to address technical issues it faces, become more competitive and help our Clients technically.
The Helen Alguire Innovation Award has been established as an annual tribute to Helen, a treasured member of the BG&E family that was taken before her time. This award is to celebrate our staff’s technical excellence, exceptional ability to solve the myriad of challenges, engineering prowess, innovative thinking and BG&E’s purpose.
Our Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Committee manages business-wide improvements, compliance and transparency.
BG&E comply to various international standards and implements independently audited management systems.
Some of our recent community initiatives include:
- Donating computers to schools in disadvantaged countries.
- Supporting the Indigenous Australian Engineering Summer School Program in Western Australia, to inspire and encourage young Indigenous Australians to pursue engineering and science careers.
- Actively participating in STEM programs, and participating in Careers Day at universities, offering inspiration and information to young students interested in engineering careers.
- Donating Corporate clothing towards Dress for Success, an organisation that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.
- Support of the podcast ‘You Don’t Look Like an Engineer’- a production by BG&E employees that champions diversity in engineering.
Buildings impact the environment - so we prioritise eco-efficiency and sustainable design as pivotal factors in creating low-carbon structures. Our expertise empowers Clients and partners to pursue sustainable built environments and innovative designs through embedded sustainable practices. Learn about our Adaptive Reuse Projects.