Creating Resiliency

Supporting our clients facing the impacts of climate change

The climate in nearly every place on Earth has changed over the past several decades as a direct result of unprecedented increases in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. This increase has manifested in changes in the intensity, frequency, magnitude, and duration of extreme weather events such as intense rainfall, drought, and heat waves. These events have often caused corresponding geohazard events such as floods, permafrost loss, landslides, and rockfalls. These geohazard events can have severe effects on surrounding communities and critical infrastructure. Changes in seasonal cycles, summer heat, or other climate factors also may influence or speed up the aging of infrastructure. The best available science suggests that these changes will continue and, in many cases, accelerate in the future.

Climate change is arguably the most critical applied earth science challenge facing society today – understanding the impacts and helping our clients adapt is becoming more integral to our work every day.

Industry and governments are required to consider the impacts of climate change on their assets, infrastructure, communities, and residents. Climate change needs to be considered and appropriately integrated to inform design criteria, meet regulatory requirements, and for mitigation of future risks. Whether it is supporting the safety of community members and assets, ensuring the resiliency of roads, railways, and highways, reducing mining emissions targets, or considering design for new pipeline projects for geohazard avoidance, consideration of climate change plays a role in all these situations.

At BGC we are dedicated to supporting our clients and partners to understand and manage the current and future impacts of climate processes and change on their assets. We believe that a sound understanding of earth processes and their influence on natural and built systems is instrumental to risk management decision-making. We understand that consideration and appropriate integration of climate change is an opportunity to build resiliency, adapt, mitigate, and innovate. Our skills and experience as geotechnical and hydrotechnical experts paired with our expertise in climate change uniquely position us to support our clients in understanding and tackling potential risks, costs, and liabilities.