The recently opened LEED Silver-certified GHD property in Montréal.Supplied
Shortly after moving to Canada in 2022, Mehran Bhatti took the next step in his career with a position at GHD Ltd. Given his master’s degree in environmental management and a couple of years of international experience, people were open to his expertise in waste management and his dedication to data-based decisions from day one.
“I love to look at data and create a story,” says Bhatti, environmental scientist and sustainability champion for Western Canada.
GHD is a global, employee-owned professional services firm providing engineering, environmental, architecture, advisory and digital services. It works across the global markets of water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation. Founded in 1928, the firm has operations in more than 14 countries located in the Americas, Australia, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
“Sustainability is not a choice at GHD, it’s the way we live and work,” says Isabel Piraux, general manager, Eastern Canada and decarbonization champion for Canada. “Being green is our expertise.”
Piraux sees more and more current and prospective employees interested in the company’s values. “Sustainability is so important to younger people that they often don’t have a driver’s licence,” she says. A key Eastern Canada Region office recently moved into a LEED Silver-certified property in Place Ville Marie in Montréal, where many employees can cycle or take public transportation to work.
The GHD North America Commuter Incentive Program supports decarbonization by offering employees who choose low-emission transportation options an annual reimbursement.
In 2023, GHD mobilized nearly 300 employee volunteers across Canada to clean local shorelines and parks. Local efforts have continued in this vein. Recently, Bhatti helped to brainstorm an office-wide initiative to bring together GHD volunteers to clean up along Highway 1 near Calgary.
Bhatti says GHD employees look for the best sustainable solutions, not just for the client or the company, but for the environment. They look at massive amounts of data to get the big picture.
In one instance, his team realized that to remediate a small spill that is biodegradable would involve more carbon emissions from vehicles than the spill itself. They are working with the client and regulators to find a better solution.
GHD is also looking at ways to introduce electric vehicles into its fleet across the Americas. One challenge is a lack of charging stations. The company may be able to install chargers at some project sites that would stay beyond the life of the project.
Part of Bhatti’s role as sustainability champion involves communicating sustainability initiatives to the Western Region team. He does waste audits and sets out guidelines for separating waste in his office, as well as working to organize community cleanups. He finds his colleagues are receptive to his efforts.
“When I joined the company, I never felt like a junior employee,” says Bhatti. “Senior people are open to my questions and suggestions. It’s always a two-way street.”
Piraux talks about the teams that come together to achieve projects. For instance, the rehabilitation of a dam is not just a technical challenge but one that involves biologists and technicians, as well as engineers, to ensure that the ecosystem is restored.
“We look at our projects as opportunities to do something that will last for future generations,” says Piraux. “Whether building, remediating or bringing an ecosystem back to life, this is at the core of our work.”
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Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail’s editorial department was not involved.