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ERM, the world’s largest pure-play sustainability advisory firm, has acquired Sustainalize – a Dutch sustainability consulting firm with offices in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
This new acquisition expands ERM’s sustainability consulting capabilities in continental Europe and further reinforces the company’s position as the global market leader in pure-play sustainability consulting.
Sustainalize works with businesses to measure, disclose and respond to ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues and challenges. The company supports clients on strategy development and execution, implementation, external reporting and impact measurement across a broad range of sustainability topics, including climate change, biodiversity loss, the availability of resources, diversity and equality, human rights and governance.
The strengthening of ERM’s existing sustainability advisory capabilities and capacity through this acquisition will see clients benefitting from enhanced sustainability reporting and disclosure services as well as strategy and impact measurement services in Europe and globally.
Sustainalize employs approximately 30 people mainly in the Netherlands, as well as in Belgium and Germany, who will now join ERM. Justus Koek and Nick de Ruiter, both former PwC consultants, founded the company in 2010 and will join the ERM partnership. Sustainalize has a client base of nearly 200 organizations, across a range of different sectors from technology, banking and finance, to retail, aviation and government.
ERM has significantly extended its strategic corporate sustainability and climate change solutions worldwide in recent years and the acquisition of Sustainalize will build on previous acquisitions including BrownFlynn in 2018, SustainAbility in 2019, Critical Resource in 2020 and Michael J Bradley & Associates in 2020. The creation of the SustainAbility Institute by ERM, also builds on the exceptional thought leadership and convening platform developed by SustainAbility. Launched in 2020, the Institute is ERM’s primary platform for thought leadership on sustainability.
Keryn James, CEO, ERM: “The Covid-19 pandemic and the global movement on racial justice have accelerated and enhanced the focus on ESG risks and opportunities and the need for businesses to be more resilient and sustainable. Boards and executive teams need to become more knowledgeable, proactive and effective on ESG matters, from improving diversity within their companies, to linking executive pay to ESG metrics. We are delighted to announce the acquisition of Sustainalize which further strengthens our capabilities and capacity in being able to support clients in Europe and beyond as they navigate these increasingly complex issues.”
Nick de Ruiter, Co-founder and Partner, Sustainalize: “Since we started our business ten years ago, we have had the pleasure of advising and supporting many clients in translating comprehensive sustainability themes into priorities that truly matter. We are very excited to continue our future with ERM. Sustainalize will benefit from ERM's extensive network, significant global scale, in-depth knowledge and thought leadership on pressing sustainability challenges. Through the acquisition, we will be able to accelerate the growth of our proposition, and bring extended services to our clients.”
About ERM
Sustainability is our business.
As the largest global pure play sustainability consultancy, ERM partners with the world’s leading organizations, creating innovative solutions to sustainability challenges and unlocking commercial opportunities that meet the needs of today while preserving opportunity for future generations.
ERM’s diverse team of 8,000+ world-class experts in over 150 offices in 40 countries and territories combine strategic transformation and technical delivery to help clients operationalize sustainability at pace and scale. ERM calls this capability its “boots to boardroom” approach - a comprehensive service model that helps organizations to accelerate the integration of sustainability into their strategy and operations.
About Sustainalize
Sustainalize is a Dutch sustainability consulting firm with offices in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. The company works with businesses to measure, disclose and respond to ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues and challenges. Sustainalize supports strategy development and execution, implementation, external reporting and impact measurement across a broad range of sustainability topics, including climate change, biodiversity loss, the availability of resources, diversity and equality, human rights and governance.
Sustainalize uses its in-house expertise on regulations, integrated reporting and communications to create long-term value creation for nearly 200 organizations. This client base is active across a range of different sectors from technology, banking and finance, to retail, aviation and government. Together with its 30+ professionals, Sustainalize is committed to a transition to a sustainable future. Sustainalize is headquartered in Utrecht, the Netherlands and has offices in Brussels, Belgium and Cologne, Germany. Find out more on Sustainalize’s brand new website
