Nature-based Solutions

A multidisciplinary offering

RSK is a leading international environmental and engineering consultancy headquartered in the UK and rapidly expanding across the globe. Our specialist businesses unite to form multidisciplinary teams that uniquely enable us to provide integrated solutions throughout a project. We have already delivered numerous successful nature-led projects and we expect our offering to continue to grow as we, and the clients we serve, prioritise sustainable development.

Our companies offering NbS include ADAS, Binnies, RSK Biocensus, Habitat Management, Salix, cbec eco-engineering, RSK Wilding, Stephenson Halliday, Twig, bts Group, Solutions By Nature and Nature Positive.

Providing practical nature-based solutions

At their core, NbS aim to incorporate natural systems and processes into the developmental design and implementation of projects. At RSK, we can support clients across the project life cycle: from design through to construction and ongoing management and maintenance.

We offer a variety of surveys – arboricultural, ecological, invasive species – and consulting services, such as liaising with communities and stakeholders, creating green corporate strategies, biodiversity net gain (BNG) assessments and strategies, spatial plans and master planning, design and management. We can also play a key role in the implementation of designs through our services in vegetation management, creating habitats and restoring landscapes, lake desilting, pond creation and seeding and landscape contract administration and contracting, to name a few. Our service offering is designed to offer a single, comprehensive solution for a project, avoiding the need to seek out several subcontractors. Our solutions not only fight against climate change but also provide value for our client beyond their initial investment.

Working in a wide variety of settings and sectors

Our range of specialist businesses gives us the flexibility to work in all kinds of environments and settings.

Across the UK, we are experienced in designing solutions for both urban and rural NbS projects. In an urban setting, we can create allotments, green spaces, parks, green architecture and more, that not only improve air quality but also cool cities and towns. Incorporating inclusive design, such as access to green spaces, has positive physical and mental health impacts, especially for those from socio-economically disadvantaged groups. In a rural environment, we can assist clients by sustainably restoring water systems and planting trees or hedgerows that serve to enhance wildlife connectivity and biodiversity in addition to creating opportunities for natural flood management.

We are able to advise on large-scale projects, such as creating strategic frameworks for NbS through green and blue infrastructure strategies, nature recovery strategies and other systems-based approaches to land planning and management. These include catchment-scale proposals for natural flood management or afforestation and peatland restoration for carbon sequestration and habitat creation.

When it comes to construction projects, our NbS can assist developers in reaching biodiversity net gain goals that are increasingly required, as well as creating higher quality schemes that are more acceptable to planning authorities. By working with clients to include nature-based approaches from the start of a project and to consider their long-term management, we help to deliver a more efficient and optimised programme of work, and help ensure that it is sustainable.

Creating a global green footprint

Viable and sustainable NbS are increasingly crucial in a variety of sectors. RSK’s growing global footprint means we can offer NbS to clients all over the world. RSK generates value by responding rapidly and applying the technical expertise and experience of its multidisciplinary teams to optimise the timeliness and cost-effectiveness of projects.