Kimley-Horn and Environmental Sustainability
We will address our commitment to Sustainability from two perspectives: within our offices (Operating Initiatives), and outside our offices as we serve our clients (Client Service Initiatives).
We intend to document our efforts related to Sustainability and report regular updates to our employees, clients, and industry partners.
Operating Initiatives:
As a firm that values our in-person culture, we will maintain a predominantly in-person work environment. We will do so with business decisions that demonstrate our commitment to sustainability. We will continue to empower our employees to look for common sense opportunities that will reduce Kimley-Horn’s environmental impact.
To support this commitment, we are taking the following actions:
- For the office spaces we choose to occupy:
- We will utilize a Green Leasing Checklist that takes into consideration building efficiency, location relative to transportation access (e.g., transit, EV, bicycle, walkability), the design and layout of the space itself, and proximity to our clients and staff.
- For what we consume:
- We will utilize a Green Purchasing Checklist that takes into consideration Kimley-Horn’s preference to purchase and use environmentally preferable products when they perform satisfactorily and can be acquired at a similar total cost. The checklist would take into consideration recycled materials, remanufactured products, and product end-of-life management.
- We will evaluate fleet vehicles for more energy-efficient options.
- For our people:
- We will invest in technology to allow the use of electronic review and virtual document storage.
- We will encourage virtual shifting, meeting, and training (when appropriate) while still valuing in-person relationship building.
- We will provide our employees reasonable flexibility in their roles to balance personal commitments and needs with client, firm, office, and team responsibilities.
- For our continued growth and enhancement:
- We will appoint Sustainability Champion(s) in each region to coordinate with office Green Teams to promote alternative tools and to implement local solutions (i.e., recycling, composting, volunteering for local cleanup and tree planting activities, etc.)
Client Service Initiatives:
As one of our industry’s premier planning and design consultants, our professionals serve a wide array of clients with varying environmental needs. We will continue to provide exceptional client service by adapting to market, client, and regulatory changes. We believe that design professionals should be well informed on a broad range of design, material, and constructability options along with the impacts of the choices our clients make. As trusted advisors, clients expect us to deliver solutions that meet their objectives and inform them of alternatives, including sustainable materials and delivery methods. Furthermore, we will strive to be knowledgeable about our clients’ environmental considerations.
To do this, we will continue to take the following actions:
- Support regular sustainability trainings that focus on various market sectors and regulatory environments relative to the geographic areas we serve.
- Promote opportunities for our staff to learn about environmental considerations of materials, design, and constructability.
- Budget for and fund the appropriate continued education and professional accreditations for employees related to sustainability.
- Grow our practices that focus on sustainable infrastructure and communities, renewable energy, and resiliency.
- Offer to educate our clients and increase their awareness of solutions that employ processes, materials, and construction techniques that can reduce environmental impacts.