When developing projects, we speak of limiting their impacts. The best way to do that is by implementing the Mitigation Hierarchy:
- If you can, enhance positive effects,
- Avoid negative effects first,
- Minimize / reduce / control effect that cannot be avoided
- Remedy or restore effect that cannot be minimized
- Compensate for effects that cannot be remedied
To successfully apply the Mitigation Hierarchy, avoidance must start early in project development and the engineering cycle.
At Ausenco, our engineering and sustainability teams understand the value of working together early in order to identify risk reduction opportunities. Early-stage engineering can benefit from the identification of environmental and social risks in time to optimize plans and vice-versa. We consider alternatives along with other ways to avoid and minimize risks.
We have demonstrated experience working alongside engineering teams to ensure that engineering optimizes, rather than delays, environmental and permitting, and that environmental and permitting informs engineering.
We understand the complex interplay between environmental, regulatory and social aspects of project development. At Ausenco, we work every day to reduce the footprint and risks of projects to ensure they are done in the most sustainable way.
Our Environmental and Social Due Diligence teams include senior professionals with experience across many facets of development projects, at the interface between engineering and environment, community engagement as well as permitting and execution. This experience allows us to take a holistic view of a project and identify probable risks or red flags quickly. Our team can help add value to your project by closing environmental and social gaps, reducing risk and improving project bankability. Our team can also pinpoint potential fatal flaws from an environmental and social perspective to aid in negotiations during acquisition, with the ultimate goal of improving a project overall. We have experience performing bankable studies to meet IFC Performance Standards should a project require Sustainable Finance Institutions' loans. Our team can also improve the sustainability of your project, on either side of a transaction, if improved Environmental and Social Governance is needed.