Bechtel

No leading practices were identified in the governance and strategy area.

No leading practices were identified in the ecosystems and biodiversity area.

No leading practices were identified in the social inclusion and community impact area.

Sustainability strategy and accountability
Bechtel discloses no sustainability strategy with nature-related targets and does not report on sustainability accountability within its governance structure.

Stakeholder engagement
Bechtel does not disclose how it engages with stakeholders, nor the issues it raises during such activities.

Lobbying
Bechtel does not report on its lobbying and advocacy practices on nature-related issues, nor whether these activities align with its sustainability strategy.

Impact and dependencies assessment
Bechtel has not holistically assessed its impacts or how it depends on nature, including biodiversity. It has an opportunity to start such an assessment across its value chains, focused on quantification of its impacts or dependencies.

Key areas and species
Bechtel does not disclose key species or areas important for biodiversity affected by its operations or suppliers. It has an opportunity to increase its transparency.

Ecosystem conversion and restoration
No evidence was found regarding Bechtel’s efforts to avoid ecosystem conversion, including deforestation, or promote restoration. The company has an opportunity to develop a strategy and publicly report on specific, time-bound targets.

Resource exploitation and circularity
No evidence was found regarding Bechtel’s efforts to work towards a circular economy or which organisms it exploits. The company has an opportunity to develop a strategy and publicly report on specific, time-bound targets. The company does not disclose efforts to improve soil health.

Water
Bechtel does not disclose relevant information related to water, in its operations or supply chains.

Solid and air pollution
Bechtel does not disclose relevant information related to pollution in its operations or supply chains.

GHG emissions
While Bechtel discloses having reduced CO2 emissions by 6,7% in 2021 compared to 2020 (and by 50,3% compared to 2016), this reduction only accounted for the corporate offices. The company is required to provide data including all their operations. While the company commits to achieving net zero emissions, this is insufficient to score in this element because it does not specify clearly defined objectives over time (start year and target year), it does not refer to the type of emissions affected by the commitment, and it is a commitment made through the website and not through an official updated document. The company does not report progress against its scope 1 and 2 emissions target. No evidence that the company’s scope 1 and 2 emissions target is aligned with a 1.5-degree trajectory was found. No evidence that the company reduces its scope 3 emissions was found. The company does not disclose a time-bound target to reduce its scope 3 emissions. The company does not report progress against its scope 3 emissions target. No evidence that the company’s scope 3 emissions target is aligned with a 1.5-degree trajectory was found.

Invasive species
Bechtel has not identified any activities that could lead to the introduction of invasive species in its own operations.

Safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment
Bechtel does not disclose a commitment to respecting local communities’ right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment or to zero tolerance for acts of violence, threats, intimidation or judicial harassment committed against land and environmental rights defenders.

Indigenous Peoples’ and land rights
Bechtel does not disclose a commitment to respecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights or land rights of local communities.

Bechtel has an opportunity to describe a comprehensive process for identifying its human rights risks and impacts across all its activities, especially through its business relationships. The company has an opportunity to describe a process for assessing the human rights risks it has identified and to disclose what it considers to be its salient human rights issues. A description of this process would include how relevant factors are considered, such as geographical, economic and social factors. No evidence was found that the company has a global system to act on its salient human rights issues. The company has an opportunity to disclose the stakeholders it engages with on human rights risks.

Bechtel has a publicly available policy statement which shows it is committed to respecting the health and safety of workers. The company provides a publicly available statement that expects its business relationships to commit to provides a safe and healthy workplace, in its supplier guide, however, a statement in supplier guide is not considered to be a part of formal policy commitment. The company has an opportunity to disclose a time-bound target for paying all workers a living wage or that it has achieved paying all workers a living wage. The company has an opportunity to describe how it determines a living wage for the regions where it operates. The company has an opportunity to disclose the coverage of collective bargaining agreements. The company has an opportunity to describe how it works to support the practices of its suppliers in relation to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Bechtel provides a publicly available tax strategy, which is approved by the highest governance body. However, the scope of tax strategy is limited to its UK operations only rather than a global scope. The company takes steps to identify and address bribery and corruption. The company discloses that it includes ethical and integrity clauses in its contracts with business relationships, however, no evidence found that it includes anti-bribery and anti-corruption clauses in its contracts with business relationships. The company states that it engages with policymakers from time to time to protect the interests of the company and its employees, on its website. However, a statement on its website is not considered to be a part of formal policy commitment. Also, it discloses its lobbying approach, which is limited to the US only. The company has a publicly available policy statement that specifies that it only allows political contributions by exception and clearly states the criteria for making them.