The level of industrial activity has steadily played an increasing role as a driver of environmental markets since EBJ began its analysis more than 20 years ago. This special issue of EBJ devoted to Industrial Markets for the Environmental Industry characterizes activity—and specific environmental priorities—in the major industries that represent a significant portion of the client base of environmental service and equipment companies. An introductory table demonstrates a $53-billion U.S. industrial environmental market, or almost a third of the overall $172-billion U.S. market for service and equipment companies.
In This Issue:
Industry Markets Review: EBJ interview representatives of major industries to determine current environmental activities and short- and long-term priorities; TRI data provided glimpses of recent trends. (Page 1-13)
Environmental Managers: Highlights of a series of interviews conducted by EBJ with environmental managers and officers reveal a varied opinion on the role and value of consultants. (Page 14-15)
Generator Profiles: VHB survey assesses trajectory of how corporation approach environmental and social performance; Respondent example profiles include Polaroid, National Grid and Raytheon; Global Reporting Initiative build momentum: Q&A with CEO Ernst Ligteringen. (Page 16-24)
Stock Reporter: EBJ Index topped the Dow Jones, Nasdaq and S&P in 2006, and first quarter sees some interesting activity. (Page 25-27)
Industrial Cycles Increase Impact on Environmental Markets
A history of environmental and economic data from the Bureau of Census’ annual pollution expenditure surveys conducted from 1973-1994 to the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data from 1988-2005 illustrate some interesting macro trends, but each year’s performance of the environmental industry is increasingly more linked to the fortunes of the major industrial sectors and the economy at large. The second quarter of 2007 brought signs of volatility that continue to justify an attitude of caution—but perhaps still more optimism than dread—about the economic outlook for the near future. To be sure, the slump in the residential real-estate market is not good news, yet commercial development hasn’t seemed to suffer that much yet, and the property redevelopment market along waterfronts, for urban infills and for other impaired properties with mixed-use aims appears to remain fairly healthy. Oil prices, of course, prompt nervous reactions in other economic and industrial sectors. If they rise too high, recessionary pressures mount. Just high enough, however, and the oil & gas sector continues its flush period of capital expenditures—including spending on environmental initiatives, as the environmental consulting & engineering sector well knows.
The high times in the environmental industry owe much to the oil & gas sector’s accelerated exploration activity, globally as well as in the United States. The oil industry is also sufficiently flush to take on its legacy waste sites and get them off the books, leading to good due diligence and site investigation opportunities in the United States and Europe. The good health of the oil & gas sector is symptomatic of the wealth being distributed by the solid economic growth and rapid industrialization taking place globally—a period of growth that economists characterize is unseen in several decades. China (double-digit growth in 2006) and India come to mind, but let’s add in Vietnam, Australia, Brazil, Singapore, Taiwan and Chile. In the a series of sections, EBJ provides a detailed rundown of select industrial sectors and the environmental issues and challenges they face—both today and in the near future. We limit our remarks to private-sector categories and the power sector, focusing primarily on the U.S. market.
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Table of Contents
Industry Markets Review: EBJ interview representatives of major industries to determine current environmental activities and short- and long-term priorities; TRI data provided glimpses of recent trends. (Page 1-13)
Environmental Managers: Highlights of a series of interviews conducted by EBJ with environmental managers and officers reveal a varied opinion on the role and value of consultants. (Page 14-15)
Generator Profiles: VHB survey assesses trajectory of how corporation approach environmental and social performance; Respondent example profiles include Polaroid, National Grid and Raytheon; Global Reporting Initiative build momentum: Q&A with CEO Ernst Ligteringen. (Page 16-24)
Stock Reporter: EBJ Index topped the Dow Jones, Nasdaq and S&P in 2006, and first quarter sees some interesting activity. (Page 25-27)
Exhibits Found in this Issue
U.S. Environmental Industry Revenues by Major Client Categories in 2005 ($bil)
Total Pollution Control Expenditure Breakdown by Industry: 1973-1994
Annual Pollution Control Expenditures in All Manufacturing Industries: 1973-1994 ($mil)
Decline of TRI Volumes and Facilities 1988-2005
2005 TRI Chemical Disposal/Other Releases by Industry
Power Industry Env’l Expenditures: 2007, by Fuel
TRI Chemical Disposal/Releases: Leaders and Laggards, by Industry
TRI Mercury Air Releases by Industry, 2005
TRI Air and Water Releases of Carcinogens by Industry, 2005
TRI Dioxin Air and Water Releases by Industry, 2005
ACEx Technologies American Association of Port Authorities American Chemistry Council American Iron & Steel Institute American Petroleum Institute ARCADIS Artesian Resource Corp Associated Industries of Massachusetts Association of General Contractors Calgon Carbon Corp California Water Services Carinci Burt Rogers Engineering CERES Clean Harbors Clean Harbors Environmental Services Construction Industry Compliance Astnce Ctr Defresne-Henry Edison Electric Institute Edwards & Kelcey Electronic Industries Alliance Env'l Business Council of New England Geller DeVellis General Electric Global Environment & Technology Foundation
Global Reporting Initiative
Goldman Sachs Industry Info Resources Innovest Strategic Value Advisors, Inc. International Energy Administration Jacobs Engineering Group KeySpan Energy KLD Associates Nalco Holding Co. National Grid National Mining Association National Paints & Coatings Association Oxfam International Perma-Fix Environmental Services Polaroid Corp. Portland Cement Association Product Stewardship Institute Raytheon Corp. Stantec Steel Recycling Institute Synthetic Organic Chemical Mfgrs Assn The Economist Thomson Extel TRC Companies United Nations Environment Programme Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. Versar Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
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EBJ's Executive Review 2007 (Volume XXI, No. 1/2, 2008) EBJ’s Annual Executive Review Issue featuring the 2007 EBJ Business Achievement Awards, and Q&As with key executives in the environmental industry sharing perspective on the market, strategic issues and management challenges.
EBJ's Annual Environmental Industry Overview 2007 (Volume XX, No. 11/12, 2007) This 32-page issue of EBJ provides perspective on the environmental industry's position in the U.S. economy and key trends in 2007, in addition to a full statistical snapshot of the $282-billion U.S. environmental industry in 2006. The U.S. environmental industry grew 6.2% in 2006, its third consecutive year of over 5% growth.
Principals, Partners & Owners Survey, 2008 Use this report to settle disputes and disagreements over roles, rewards, and responsibilities among A/E firm principals, partners, and owners.
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