BSC’s Environmental, Social, & Governance Program
Further advancing our mission to Build, Support, and Connect with our communities.
At BSC Group, the purpose of our work is to improve the quality of life in and around our communities using our skills and experience to promote balance between the built and natural environment. In keeping with this purpose, and our mission to build, support, and connect with our communities, we are excited to formally establish our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) program. This initiative will define and advance company practices and performance around environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and corporate governance.
BSC has committed to the establishment and advancement of an ESG program through our 5-year strategic plan. The program is championed by Jef Fasser, Vice President and Team Lead – Community Design Resilience, developed by Katie Kemen, Director of Climate Resilience, and implemented by numerous individuals and teams across the organization.
BSC is working to integrate ESG into our culture such that all employees participate through their everyday behavior and decisions. In this first year of the ESG program, BSC is focused on educating employees and key stakeholders on what ESG is, documenting existing activities that support ESG, developing and tracking metrics to measure progress, and identifying new initiatives to pursue moving forward. Below we share our initial framework and actions. We look forward to sharing our ESG report in late 2024.
BSC is committed to responsible use and protection of the natural environment. Our environmental stewardship work includes:
- Implementing environmentally preferable purchasing
- Ensuring environmental stewardship in our offices
- Incorporating environmental stewardship into project delivery
In 2023, BSC:
- Committed to socially and environmentally responsible office supply purchasing including newly adopted purchasing guidelines addressing 100% recycled paper products, preferences for Local, Made in America, and Diversity Suppliers, and more.
- Expanded our e-Waste recycling program to be accessible in all BSC offices for recycling of company and employees’ personal e-Waste.
- Fully utilizing our Worcester office, a LEED silver-certified building with easy access to public transit, as a central location for company-wide meetings.
- Established a Climate Resilience Core Team with representation from each of our professional service areas to build expertise across disciplines and integrate climate resilience into project delivery.
Nashua River Communities Resilient Lands Management Project
The changing climate is impacting how forests, wetlands, and grass-covered lands provide ecosystem services. BSC, together with MACC and partner firms, led the development of climate-smart wetland bylaws and regulations for municipalities in Massachusetts to support the health of these lands and in turn the well-being of the communities.
Everett Rivergreen Park Wetland and Habitat Enhancements
BSC supported the City of Everett’s vision to transform the natural areas of Rivergreen Park, a former industrial site, into a vibrant and resilient park. BSC applied Nature-based Solutions to jumpstart the ecological processes needed to establish a biodiverse community of plants, insects, birds, animals, fungi, and microbes. The goal is to return the land to native marshland which will reduce pollution in the river and absorb stormwater.
As a company, we believe we can do more - for our staff, our clients, and the communities we live in - and our social responsibility work is key to accomplishing our goals. Our social responsibility work includes:
- Promoting a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce
- Integrating social responsibility into our business operations
- Being engaged community members
- Equipping staff to incorporate equity and environmental justice into project delivery
In 2023, BSC:
- Invested in training for and reorganized our Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity in Action (IDEA) Council to create action-oriented teams that serve as valuable resources and advocates for underrepresented groups including our Multicultural Employee Resource Group (ERG),
LGBTQIA+ ERG, and Women’s ERG. - Established a Community Engagement team to support the communities we serve in a visible and constructive way through fundraising and volunteer event attendance and participation.
- Prioritized use of local and M/W/DBE vendors for employee events and appreciation.
MVP 2.0 GEAR Tool
BSC led the development of a new interactive online tool “GEAR” (Guides for Equitable and Actionable Resilience) as part of MA EOEEA’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Planning 2.0 project. GEAR supports communities as they explore resilience and vulnerability. Users can pair a climate hazard (e.g., heat) with a community system (e.g., housing) to learn about key issues at the intersection of these factors. GEAR provides a series of questions to further explore the topic in a given area, as well as case studies and considerations for taking action.
Toys for Tots Donations & Employee
Volunteer Opportunity
Every year, BSC takes part in a holiday toy drive benefi ting Toys for Tots. The program is run by the US Marine Corps Reserve and distributes toys to children in need. To supplement the toys received in the office collection box, an employee volunteer takes donations and goes shopping. This endeavor has provided up to $1200 worth of additional toys. BSC employees also have the opportunity to volunteer their time sorting toys at the Boston Convention Center.
Fundraising to Support the Communities We Serve
BSC’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) led the charge in supporting fundraisers for causes important to our communties. These include the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Walk, Susan G. Komen’s More than Pink Walk to end breast cancer, and Abby’s House 5K Run/ Walk, dedicated to providing shelter and affordable housing, advocacy and support services, to homeless, battered, and lowincome women, with or without children.
Collaboration with More Than Words Bookstore to Celebrate Diversity
BSC’s Multicultural Employee Resource Group (MERG) partnered with More Than Words bookstore (MTW) in 2023 to celebrate Global Diversity Awareness Month.
MTW, located in Boston, is dedicated to empowering youth and offering a range of invaluable opportunities and support, including shelter. Through this collaboration, BSC employees were able to receive a free book from a list curated by MERG and MTW that represented works by authors from a range of cultural backgrounds and experiences.
Good governance ensures accountability to our shareholders (i.e., our employee owners), adherence to our Mission, Vision, and Values, and compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and company policies. At BSC, we are committed to:
- Operating with transparency for employees and shareholders
- Accountability for ESG commitments
In 2023, BSC:
- Took steps to educate our employees on company operations and rights and responsibilities as shareholders including shareholder orientation, financial snapshot meetings, and more.
- Appointed an ESG Executive Sponsor and allocated additional staff resources to implement the ESG program. The program is tracked as part of BSC’s 5-year strategic plan.
Annual Shareholders Meeting
This summer, BSC’s leadership team held their annual shareholder’s meeting where they shared plans for the future of the company and recognized new additions to the Board of Directors. This expansion
better serves BSC employee-owners by broadening representation from within the company.
Expansion of our Board of Directors
In the past two years, BSC has expanded our board of directors to increase representation from different genders, age, expertise, and perspective. This includes establishment of the first Employee Representative position on the board and inclusion of Senior Associate board members.