RVA is an Envision Qualified Company

TORONTO—August 23, 2022—As part of our firm’s ongoing commitment to global climate change and sustainability goals, R. V. Anderson Associates Ltd. (RVA) is proud to announce that it has become an Envision Qualified Company and a sustaining member of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI).

Developed and managed by ISI, Envision® is a holistic framework and rating system that enables a thorough examination of the sustainability and resiliency of all types of infrastructure. It is the only comprehensive tool in North America that can assist organizations and their consultants and contractors in delivering infrastructure that tackles the climate crisis, addresses public health and safety needs, cultivates social equity and justice, creates jobs, and spurs economic recovery. By providing a flexible system of 64 sustainability and resilience indicators across five categories – including Quality of Life, Leadership, Resource Allocation, Natural World, and Climate and Resilience – Envision helps organizations and their project teams identify resilient, and equitable approaches during the planning, design, and construction that will continue throughout the project’s operations, maintenance, and end-of-life phases.

“Climate change brings global impacts that require leading businesses to model new forms of cooperation and pursue an integrated, holistic approach,” says Shawn Scott, President & CEO. “Envision is a powerful tool that unlocks the climate ambition of our people on a national scale. Many of our clients have already begun seeing the benefits of the Envision framework in their civil projects, and we look forward to offering future-proofed solutions that meet the urgency of this moment, when alignment and collaboration for societal transformation are more important than ever before. We are confident that our partnership with ISI and Envision will help us to continue delivering successful infrastructure projects while staying committed to the shared values that drive our future vision: environment, excellence, and resilience.”

In order to reduce carbon emissions and combat the worst effects of climate change, organizations must mobilize with governments and communities on a pathway toward a net-zero future. Envision company certification builds on RVA’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, including setting science-based targets to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, promoting green operations across all its regions, educating and empowering RVA members to become advocates of proactive climate action, and designing solutions that facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy.

In addition to joining the elite ranks of Envision Qualified Companies, RVA maintains an active committee of Envision Champions, a multidisciplinary group of ISI-certified Envision Sustainability Professionals (ENV SPs) that seeks to inform, challenge, and empower RVA members to confidently navigate their contribution in addressing climate change by making responsible choices at home and at work, and in advising our clients. As the firm begins to implement the Envision framework in civil infrastructure projects across Canada, this marks the next step of a collective journey that RVA is embarking on to address climate change, foster a culture of climate action and consciousness, and build momentum for broader societal progress.

“We’re not just thinking as #OneRVA, but as #OneEarthCommunity, and we as a firm must do our part to build an equitable and sustainable future for all,” says Tisha Doucette, Planning Ecologist at RVA and leader of RVA’s Envision Champions. “Small shifts in thought and action can lead to big change. Envision is designed to help projects strive for incremental improvement. With company-wide education and certification, RVA can further develop a culture of sustainability and climate-conscious thinking at the very core of our work.”

For over 75 years, RVA has helped its clients integrate climate and sustainability strategies into their infrastructure projects and mitigate the risks that come with a warming world. RVA helps clients, stakeholders, and decision-makers across the country build their capabilities in sustainability and urban transformation, whether it is through asset management planning, forming decarbonisation strategies, setting clear carbon measurement and reporting, or providing advice around how to mitigate GHG emissions or set net-zero targets, among a range of other services.

About ISI

Founded in 2010 by the American Public Works Association (APWA), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) as an education and research nonprofit, ISI is the organization that developed and manages Envision, a framework that encourages systemic changes in the planning, design, and delivery of sustainable, resilient, and equitable civil infrastructure through education, training, and third-party project verification.

The Envision rating system for infrastructure, which is similar to the LEED rating system by the U.S. Green Building Council, was developed by ISI in collaboration with the Harvard University Graduate School of Design’s Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure. It can be used as a planning and design tool as well as a way to evaluate completed infrastructure projects at no costs to users, and can be used by anyone associated with infrastructure delivery, including designers, environmental organizations, regulators, and project owners, among others.

Envision has been used in Canada since it was first released in 2012 and is being applied to dozens of projects across the country. To date, 12 projects in Canada, collectively worth $3.3 billion in infrastructure development, have completed third-party verification and earned Envision Awards. Another $5.8 billion in development is currently registered for or undergoing review. For more information about ISI and Envision, visit www.sustainableinfrastructure.org.

About RVA

R.V. Anderson Associates Limited has been engaged in the provision of professional engineering, operations, and management services since 1948. We are a multidisciplinary organization comprising over 400 staff including engineers, architects, technologists, modellers, and field inspection specialists for a variety of services across different sectors and discipline specific service areas.

The company is wholly owned by its principals and associates, providing services to the public and private sectors in Canada. The firm’s operating philosophy is based on a “culture of ownership”— ownership of projects, ownership of quality delivery, and ownership of the company. This culture of ownership commits the firm’s employees to executing a corporate strategy that achieves a vision of service excellence, good workplace, continuing growth and development, and financial stability.

For more information, please contact:
R. V. Anderson Associates Ltd.
marcom@rvanderson.com
www.rvanderson.com