MONTREAL, May 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WSP Global Inc. (TSX: WSP) (“WSP” or the “Corporation”) releases today its 2022 Global ESG Report, detailing the Corporation’s environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) commitments and related performance. The report further highlights WSP’s journey to have a purposeful and positive ESG impact on its employees, clients, and the communities where it operates.
“ESG is core to our strategy and in 2022, we continued to make great strides towards achieving our objectives,” stated Alexandre L’Heureux, WSP’s President and CEO. “I take pride in our progress to reduce our own carbon impact, strengthen our people metrics and further reinforce our governance. We are committed to leading by example and will continue to report on our actions and performance with rigour and transparency.”
The 2022 Global ESG Report emphasizes WSP’s efforts to decarbonize its operations and to encourage its partners and clients to do the same. Results on important social and governance metrics are also highlighted, along with inspiring stories from WSP’s worldwide business units, underscoring their support for local communities, initiatives to promote biodiversity, and projects contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”).
“At WSP, we are committed to safeguarding and enhancing the built and natural environments. We also recognize that the biggest impact we can make is through our client work,” said André-Martin Bouchard, Global Director, Earth & Environment and Global Executive Director, ESG. “We now have a team of 23,000 highly skilled professionals in our environmental practice, and our capabilities in this area are global in scale and unparalleled in their depth. We are poised to deliver a wide selection of projects of varying degrees of complexity as we seek to lead the transition to a cleaner, low-carbon, bio-diverse world.”
Additional highlights in the report include:
- WSP’s SDG-linked revenues accounted for 59.3% of total annualized gross revenues in 2022. 1
- Total scope 1, scope 2 (market-based), and scope 3 GHG emissions were reduced by 26% in 2022, compared to our 2018 base year.
- WSP was among the leading companies to obtain SBTi approval for its net zero GHG emissions reduction target.
- Our goal to achieve a 5% annual increase in the representation of women and under-represented groups in WSP’s workforce was achieved in 2022. 2
- Charitable donations totaling CAD$3.9 million were made in 2022, and our employees gave their time in volunteering and pro bono activities in local communities.
- ESG criteria were fully integrated into the compensation of WSP’s global leadership.
- WSP unveiled its Biodiversity Statement, a set of guiding principles aimed at enabling WSP to engage with clients to protect, restore and enhance ecosystems.
WSP also recently published its “Managing our ESG Impacts” document and released today an updated version of WSP’s Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) report, which provides information on the Corporation’s climate risks and opportunities.
To read WSP’s 2022 Global ESG Report and to learn more about the Corporation’s ESG initiatives, please visit wsp.com/ESG-report
ABOUT WSP
As one of the largest professional services firms in the world, WSP exists to future-proof our cities and our environment. It provides strategic advisory, engineering and design services to clients seeking sustainable solutions in the transportation, infrastructure, environment, building, energy, water, and mining sectors. Its 67,000 trusted professionals are united by the common purpose of creating positive, long-lasting impacts on the communities it serves through a culture of innovation, integrity, and inclusion. In 2022, WSP reported $11.9 B (CAD) in revenue. The Corporation’s shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: WSP).
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain information regarding WSP contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include estimates, plans, strategic ambitions, objectives, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance, outlook or other statements that are not statements of fact. Forward-looking statements made by the Corporation in this press release include statements about WSP’s ESG commitments and objectives including as set forth in the 2022 Global ESG Report; WSP’s projected positive ESG impact on its employees, clients, and communities; the principles set forth in the Corporation’s Biodiversity statement, including its ability to engage with clients to protect, restore and enhance ecosystems; and WSP’s ability to have a positive impact on nature.
These forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions believed by the Corporation to be reasonable at the date of this press release, including assumptions about our ability to implement and maintain effective ESG management systems and processes; the continuation of supportive stakeholder engagement and collaboration; the sufficiency of internal and external resources, Our belief that we are positioned to capture significant opportunities to support the low-carbon transition and nature conservancy; general economic and political conditions; and the state of the global economy and the economies of the regions in which the Corporation operates. Although WSP believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and may be based on assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. WSP's forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The complete version of the cautionary note regarding risk factors, which, if realized, could cause the Corporation's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements, are included in WSP's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2022, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and WSP does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless expressly required by applicable securities laws.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Alain Michaud
Chief Financial Officer
WSP Global Inc.
Phone: 438-843-7317
alain.michaud@wsp.com
1 For further information, see “SDG-Linked Revenues” in WSP’s 2022 Global ESG Report: Purposeful Impact. To reflect the pro forma impact of WSP’s acquisitions, annualized revenues include 12 months of revenues from businesses acquired in 2022.
2 Women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA2S+ and veterans collectively comprise the under-represented groups.
