Sustainability Stewards Program

At HDR, we prioritize the environment. And to keep it at the forefront of our activities, colleagues take part in the Sustainability Stewards Program (SSP).

SSP members serve as activators in achieving our environmental vision. They help improve the environment of local communities by connecting like-minded employees, providing educational opportunities, advancing employee volunteer programs and advocating for creative solutions in our professional design work.

“The SSP program is important to us. We do things at HDR because they are right, not necessarily because others are asking us to do those things. Stewardship of our natural resources is the right thing to do. And it has been a part of who we are since the beginning.” — Neil Graff, Chief Operating Officer

The SSP is a unique venue for employees to support our sustainability journey. Primarily a volunteer organization, the SSP supports our “smart solution” initiatives with these activities:

• Greening Our Communities. This initiative is a cleanup, restoration or planting volunteer event, hosted annually by our SSP teams. Many teams have coordinated or volunteered at Adopt-A-Trail and Adopt-A-Stream.
• Earth Week Activities. During the month of April, we encourage our colleagues to engage with community organizations, participate in office events and share what we are doing worldwide as sustainability stewards.
• Employee Commute Survey. SSP teams support the completion of our annual commute survey, which helps HDR calculate its greenhouse gas footprint and inform operational decisions.
• Waste Audit. We recognize the importance of minimizing waste generated by our operations and employees. SSP teams help conduct periodic audits of our waste streams to baseline conditions and identify opportunities for addressing avoidance, diversion and mitigation of waste.
• Sustainability Stewards Program Awards. Our annual awards program, started in 2014, recognizes achievements by SSP teams throughout the company. Teams are encouraged to self-nominate in five categories and are recognized in an annual awards presentation.

“SSP awards demonstrate the great things our teams are doing every day. And they show how environmental stewardship is engrained in our business strategy and culture.” — Lisa Fewins, Corporate Sustainability Director