Stantec

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

GHG emissions 
Stantec is reducing its scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions and has a time-bound target to reduce its scope 1 and 2 emissions aligned with a 1.5-degree trajectory.

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

Sustainability strategy and accountability
Although Stantec discloses an updated ESG Materiality Matrix, it is unclear whether the process involves external stakeholders to meet double materiality. The company also does not disclose group-wide targets on key sustainability topics for the most material parts of its value chain according to the SBTN materiality table tool. While Stantec states an objective on inclusion and diversity for its short-term incentive plan, no further evidence that the company links performance criteria in senior executives’ remuneration policies to targets which cover nature and social issues could be found in the public domain. Furthermore, the company does not disclose whether its highest governance body has expertise regarding nature-related topics.

Stakeholder engagement
While Stantec discloses how often and through which channels it engages with various stakeholder groups, the company does not disclose an overview of the issues raised during its stakeholder engagement activities.

Lobbying
While Stantec discloses some trade associations of which it is a member, this is not a complete list covering all geographies. The company also does not disclose a clear and detailed framework for assessing alignment of its trade associations with nature-positive policies nor does it report (potential) misalignment between the lobbying activities of its trade associations and nature-positive policies.

Impact and dependencies assessment
Stantec 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
Stantec 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 Stantec’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. The company does not disclose a commitment to minimise ecosystem conversion nor a commitment to restore ecosystems. While the company provides multiple examples of restoration projects, these restoration actions are not linked to the company’s impacts on ecosystems.

Resource exploitation and circularity
Stantec does not disclose its inputs, including its material footprint. The company does not report quantitatively on its group-wide circularity performance. While the company discloses activities to improve soil health or agrobiodiversity in its production or sourcing practices, it has an opportunity to disclose a target to improve soil health in its production or sourcing practices.

Water
No evidence that Stantec reduces water withdrawal across the company’s own operations was found. The company has a strong opportunity to disclose a time-bound target to reduce water withdrawal across its own operations. The company also does not report how much water is withdrawn for its own operations in water-stressed areas nor does it engage with suppliers to reduce water withdrawal. Furthermore, Stantec does not disclose its processes for managing and monitoring discharge water quality nor does it regularly report on water pollution. The company has an opportunity to disclose targets to reduce water pollution.Furthermore, Stantec does not disclose a commitment to respect the right to water nor its processes for implementing preventive and corrective action plans for identified specific risks to the right to water and sanitation in its own operations.

Solid and air pollution
No evidence that Stantec is reducing the production of hazardous waste was found. No evidence that the company reduces plastic use and waste in its own operations was found. The company does not report on air quality parameters of emissions of harmful air pollutants and has an opportunity to report time-bound targets to reduce air pollutants across the most material parts of its value chain.

GHG emissions
Stantec is reducing its scope 3 emission and has a time-bound target to reduce its scope 3 emissions. However, the company has an opportunity to disclose a scope 3 emissions target aligned with a 1.5-degree trajectory.

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

Safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment
Stantec 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
While Stantec mentions Indigenous Peoples’ rights, it reports no commitment to respect their rights which references the relevant part(s) of ILO Convention No. 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples or the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The company also does not disclose its processes for identifying and recognising the rights of Indigenous Peoples when activities in its own operations may impact their rights, nor does it describe how it obtains Indigenous Peoples’ free, prior and informed consent. Furthermore, Stantec does not disclose a commitment to respect ownership and use of land and natural resources and related legitimate tenure rights, as set out in the relevant part(s) of the VGGTs or the IFC Performance Standards. No evidence was found that the company requires its business relationships to have a process to identify legitimate tenure rightsholders, paying particular attention to vulnerable or marginalised tenure rightsholders, and to negotiate with them to provide adequate compensation.

While the company discloses that it conducts due diligence in general, it has an opportunity to specify that it conducts human rights due diligence that includes a process for identifying human rights risks and impacts 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. While the company discloses that it conducts routine human rights risk assessments and that it remediates in locations with the highest risk, no evidence was found that it has a global system to act on all its salient human rights issues. No evidence that the company provides an example of the conclusions reached and actions taken or to be taken on at least one of its salient human rights issues as a result of assessment processes was found. While the company discloses the categories of stakeholders it engages with generally on sustainability issues, it is not clear if these stakeholders are those whose human rights have been or may be affected by its activities. While the company provides general examples of engagement with stakeholders, it has an opportunity to clarify if these stakeholders are those whose human rights have been or may be affected by its activities.

The company has a publicly available policy statement which shows it is committed to respecting the health and safety of workers. The company has a publicly available policy statement which shows it expects its suppliers to commit to respecting the health and safety of their workers. No evidence that the company discloses a time-bound target for paying all workers a living wage or that it has achieved paying all workers a living wage was found. No evidence that the company describes how it determines a living wage for the regions where it operates was found. While the company states that it expects its suppliers to pay wages that are sufficient for workers and their families to fulfil their basic needs, it has an opportunity to disclose how it works to support the payment of a living wage by its suppliers. The company discloses the total percentage of employees eligible for collective bargaining agreement. However, there is no relevant disclosure of the proportion of its total direct operations workforce covered by collective bargaining agreements. While the company states that it encourages its suppliers to respect employees’ right to freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, it has an opportunity to describe how it works to support the practices of its suppliers in relation to those.

The company discloses a tax strategy, but it is not applicable to all its operations. No evidence that the company describes the process for identifying its bribery and corruption risks and impacts in specific locations or activities covering its own operations was found. The company includes anti-bribery and anti-corruption clauses in its contracts with direct business relationships. In a public policy statement, the company discloses its approach to lobbying and political engagement. 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.