Practice Areas
Comprehensive Sustainability & ESG Services
Advancing Your Sustainability Journey
Whatever your starting point, Brightworks offers comprehensive sustainability & ESG technical and advisory services that support you responsively, thoughtfully, and creatively in advancing your sustainability journey.
ESG + Corporate Sustainability
Decarbonization & GHG Emissions Reduction
Brightworks is a leader in decarbonization and emissions reduction across Scopes 1, 2, and 3, at both the building and the organizational scales. We provide clarity to companies, design teams, policy makers, non-profits, standard-setters, and the academy in understanding, navigating, achieving, and verifying complex goals.
Read moreBiodiversity
Development that supports biodiversity preserves or improves the level of diversity in ecosystems during and after the development’s completion. Brightworks offers expert services in biodiversity for clients seeking to ensure the ecosystems under their influence flourish for generations to come.
Read moreESG & Sustainability Strategy & Planning
Sustainability program planning helps you to engage key stakeholders and define a valid sustainability program that achieves objective sustainability goals while also fulfilling your organization’s unique needs. Brightworks supports major enterprises, small businesses, and non-commercial entities alike with climate and sustainability strategy, evaluation and assessment, quantification, programitization, and performance.
Read moreESG & Sustainability Program Design
To design a comprehensive ESG program for an enterprise, your consulting team must have expertise in the full range of services that represent the range of activities required for success and defensible disclosure to stakeholders. Brightworks is a leader in not only deploying but also developing ESG and sustainability methods for all aspects of your organization.
Read moreESG & Sustainability Program Implementation
Establishing a baseline and setting performance targets are not enough. Enterprises must also integrate sustainability strategies into operations and maintain on-going ESG & sustainability practices to continuously improve performance. Whether just beginning stakeholder engagement or leaning into deep decarbonization, Brightworks has extensive fist-hand experience implementing ESG and sustainability programs in major enterprises.
Read moreESG & Sustainability Reporting & Disclosure
Successful ESG and sustainability disclosure via reporting requires a comprehensive understanding of the issues that are material to your business, and how you plan to address them. Our experienced team offers technical and advisory services for disclosures according to CDP, CDSB, GHG Protocol, GRI, GRESB, ISSB, SASB, TCFD, the EU Taxonomy, the Mexican Taxonomy, and others.
Read moreESG & Sustainability Outsourcing
Deploying ESG & sustainability solutions requires expertise in everything from energy to biodiversity, carbon accounting, water management, and more. Let Brightworks’ team of experts support your vision through targeted, specific support in areas material to your team’s success.
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Government Sector Sustainability
Decarbonization & GHG Emissions Reduction
Brightworks is a leader in decarbonization and emissions reduction across Scopes 1, 2, and 3, at both the building and the organizational scales. We provide clarity to companies, design teams, policy makers, non-profits, standard-setters, and the academy in understanding, navigating, achieving, and verifying complex goals.
Read moreClimate Action Planning & Implementation
A valid climate action plan engages stakeholders to identify specific actions responsive to its unique greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions profile that will achieve the reduction targets specified by the community.
Read morePublic Agency Sustainable Operations Programs
ESG principles apply to non-commercial enterprises as well as corporate enterprises. With their own significant operational impacts, government sector organizations must measure, manage, and mitigate those impacts with as much intention and rigor as commercial enterprises. Brightworks is a major provider to Federal, state, and local entities of sustainability strategy, decarbonization, renewable energy, and other services.
Read moreHigh-Performance Public Buildings
Public space in the form of sustainably designed and high-performance built environments are foundational to public discourse and self-governance. Brightworks is vastly experienced in developing and implementing sustainability programs for public buildings, whether border crossings/points of entry, courthouses, energy infrastructure, national labs, railways, research and developments facilities, or straightforward workplaces.
Read morePublic Infrastructure
Public infrastructure has unique sustainability needs. Brightworks is experienced in creating and implementing sustainable infrastructure designed for everyday use.
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Sustainable Built Environments
Green Building Certifications
Leading the practice of sustainability for over 20 years, Brightworks is a leader in green building certification. Our team members are accredited experts in BREEAM, GreenPoint Rated, LEED, andLiving Building Challenge, among others.
Read moreGreen & Sustainable Building Consulting
Green and sustainable buildings are a critical innovation needed to mitigate climate change and create a better world for all people. Often the largest emission source within an organization’s carbon footprint, buildings represent a critical leverage point for creating both environmental and social change. Brightworks offers alternatives to green building certification based in sound sustainability principles and methods.
Read moreZero Carbon Buildings
A zero carbon building produces and embodies zero emissions. Brightworks is a trusted partner for companies in a range of industries, helping them understand, calculate, track, reduce, and report carbon emissions across Scopes 1, 2, and 3, at both the building scale, the corporate scale, or the portfolio scale. We provide clarity to companies, policy makers, non-profits, standard-setters, and the academy on achieving net zero.
Read moreSustainable Infrastructure
Sustainable infrastructure integrates the principles of sustainability into the design and construction of roads, bridges, communication systems, energy systems, and other physical and organizational structures needed for the basic operations of society. Brightworks provides advanced expertise in improving the efficiency and lowering the impacts of these critical systems.
Read moreEnergy Analysis & Energy Modeling
Energy analysis and energy modeling allow for energy efficiency, energy optimization, and the reduction of Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Brightworks is expert in new technologies, smart building systems, and cutting-edge methods that allow us to work closely with you to identify the best approaches for optimizing the energy efficiency of your building or campus.
Read moreCommissioning
Commissioning is the process of reviewing a building’s systems to ensure they are installed and performing as designed. It is an important part of any building’s sustainability journey. Inefficient and/or ineffective system operations are often discovered during commissioning which can save significant amounts of money for building owners. Brightworks offers deeply experienced in-house commissioning expertise for all buildings.
Read moreSustainable Building Materials
Building materials have myriad impacts we must understand, measure, manage, and mitigate. These include toxicity to human beings and the environment, embodied carbon, resource depletion, circularity, and forced labor. Holding the leading position in building material sustainability, Brightworks works with industry leaders to define industry transformational efforts and specify better materials for individual environments as well.
Read moreBiophilia & Biophilic Design
Connection with the natural world is important to human vitality. Buildings especially have a critical role to play in maintaining our connection to the natural environments that surround us. Biophilic Design is the practice of developing built environments in a way that fosters intuitive symbiotic relationships between humans beings and nature.
Read moreNature-Based Solutions
Nature-based solutions use natural phenomena and processes to tackle environmental and social issues. Brightworks supports the pursuit of nature-based solutions for clients in partnership with some of they world’s leading nature-based solutions standard organizations.
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Healthier Built Environments
Healthy Building Certifications
We act as a strategic partner for clients pursuing WELL Certification and Fitwel Certification, globally recognized frameworks for supporting and advancing health and wellness in buildings, interiors, and communities. From incorporating healthy materials to ensuring optimal acoustics, we think holistically across these certification categories to create a customized path to certification that aligns with our clients’ goals.
Read moreHealthier Building Materials
Building materials have myriad impacts we must understand, measure, manage, and mitigate. These include toxicity to human beings and the environment and forced labor. Holding the leading position in building material health, Brightworks works with industry leaders to define industry transformational efforts and specify healthier materials for individual environments as well.
Read moreBiophilia & Biophilic Design
Connection with the natural world is important to human vitality. Buildings especially have a critical role to play in maintaining our connection to the natural environments that surround us. Biophilic Design is the practice of developing built environments in a way that fosters intuitive symbiotic relationships between humans beings and nature.
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Carbon
Decarbonization & GHG Emissions Reduction
Brightworks is a leader in decarbonization and emissions reduction across Scopes 1, 2, and 3, at both the building and the organizational scales. We provide clarity to companies, design teams, policy makers, non-profits, standard-setters, and the academy in understanding, navigating, achieving, and verifying complex goals.
Read moreCarbon & GHG Emissions Accounting
A global leader in Scope 3 analysis, Brightworks is a trusted partner for clients in a range of industries for comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting in support of emission reduction strategy across Scopes 1, 2, and 3. We provide clarity and guidance to companies, design teams, policy makers, non-profits, standard-setters and the academy in understanding, navigating, achieving, and verifying complex decarbonization measures.
Read moreCarbon & GHG Emissions Reporting
Major REITs, leading multinational enterprises, Federal agencies, and small businesses alike have chosen Brightworks to lead, administer, or support their ESG and sustainability disclosure. We are a global leader in Scope 3, as well as Scopes 1 and 2, giving us the ability to prepare comprehensive disclosures that present fairly, accurately, and defensibly.
Read moreEmbodied Carbon & Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment
Brightworks’ Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment (WBLCA) services drive low-carbon outcomes. We support projects during design, starting with sustainability strategy and goal-setting. We are experienced in offering stand-alone WBLCA’s and WBLCA’s that fulfil the requirements of green building certifications.
Read moreOperational Carbon
Operational carbon, or the energy your organization uses, can also be called Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Managing these emissions and working to reduce them is a critical part of any organization’s decarbonization journey.
Read moreZero Carbon Buildings
A zero carbon building produces and embodies zero emissions. Brightworks is a trusted partner for companies in a range of industries, helping them understand, calculate, track, reduce, and report carbon emissions across Scopes 1, 2, and 3, at both the building scale, the corporate scale, or the portfolio scale. We provide clarity to companies, policy makers, non-profits, standard-setters, and the academy on achieving net zero.
Read moreNet-Zero Energy
Achieving net-zero energy requires the embodiment and production of zero emissions. Brightworks is a trusted partner for companies in a range of industries to understand, calculate, track, reduce, and report carbon emissions across Scopes 1, 2, and 3. We provide clarity to companies, policy makers, non-profits, standard-setters and the academy on achieving net zero.
Read moreElectification
The electrification of buildings is a critical step in achieving global climate goals. As the energy grid trends toward increasingly renewable energy sources, ensuring your building operates using only electricity will allow your organization to transition along with it. Brightworks supports owners and operators in this transition, whether upgrading an existing building or developing on a new one.
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Energy
Energy Auditing
Auditing involves reviewing a building’s energy performance, building systems, and facility operations to understand how it can be optimized and improved. Brightworks views an ASHRAE level 1 or level 2 energy audit as one of the first steps in improving or upgrading an existing building to support the owner’s sustainability and operational efficiency goals. Conducting an energy audit is informative, if not necessary.
Read moreEnergy Management
Energy management is the optimization and control of the energy used by a building or organization to support its most efficient use. It includes both energy distribution and storage systems, and is an important part of any company’s sustainability strategy. Brightworks’s energy management experts can help you create a custom energy management program for your assets at any scale.
Read moreEnergy Analysis & Energy Modeling
Energy analysis and energy modeling allow for energy efficiency, energy optimization, and the reduction of Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Brightworks is expert in new technologies, smart building systems, and cutting-edge methods that allow us to work closely with you to identify the best approaches for optimizing the energy efficiency of your building or campus.
Read moreCommissioning
Commissioning is the process of reviewing a building’s systems to ensure they are installed and performing as designed. It is an important part of any building’s sustainability journey. Inefficient and/or ineffective system operations are often discovered during commissioning which can save significant amounts of money for building owners. Brightworks offers deeply experienced in-house commissioning expertise for all buildings.
Read moreNet-Zero Energy
Achieving net-zero energy requires the embodiment and production of zero emissions. Brightworks is a trusted partner for companies in a range of industries to understand, calculate, track, reduce, and report carbon emissions across Scopes 1, 2, and 3. We provide clarity to companies, policy makers, non-profits, standard-setters and the academy on achieving net zero.
Read moreElectification
The electrification of buildings is a critical step in achieving global climate goals. As the energy grid trends toward increasingly renewable energy sources, ensuring your building operates using only electricity will allow your organization to transition along with it. Brightworks supports owners and operators in this transition, whether upgrading an existing building or developing on a new one.
Read more
Materials
Embodied Carbon & Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment
Brightworks’ Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment (WBLCA) services drive low-carbon outcomes. We support projects during design, starting with sustainability strategy and goal-setting. We are experienced in offering stand-alone WBLCA’s and WBLCA’s that fulfil the requirements of green building certifications.
Read moreHealthy & Sustainable Materials Program Development
Building materials have myriad impacts we must understand, measure, manage, and mitigate. These include toxicity to human beings and the environment, embodied carbon, resource depletion, and forced labor. Holding the leading position in building material sustainability, Brightworks works with industry leaders to define industry transformational efforts and specify better materials for individual environments as well.
Read moreMaterial Evaluation
Brightworks is the global leader in material evaluation. We created the Common Material Framework for mindfulMaterials, working with hundreds of experts and industry leaders to align thousands of product screening criteria into five impact areas of concern. For individual clients developing healthy and sustainable material programs and policies, we leverage this unique expertise and understanding of current industry performance.
Read moreSupport for Architects & Designers
Architecture and design firms are responsible for specifying materials that align with their clients’ sustainability goals. With the leading material human and environmental health experts in practice today, Brightworks can expertly support design teams better than anyone to understand the complexity of material certifications and sustainability frameworks and support transformation of the material industry.
Read moreSupport for Manufacturers
The sustainability criteria by which building material manufacturers are evaluated are exceedingly varied and dynamic, making it challenging and confusing to know how to satisfy to customers and other stakeholders. With the leading materials consulting practice today, Brightworks helps material manufacturers navigate product certifications, sustainability standards, and emerging market drivers within the industry.
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