Which environmental consulting firms help with ESG reporting for public companies?

Yes. For a public company that needs ESG/sustainability reporting support, there are several strong environmental and sustainability consulting firms. The best choice depends on whether you primarily need report preparation, ESG data/controls, climate disclosures, materiality, or broader environmental strategy.

Strong firms to consider

• ERM — One of the strongest pure-play options. ERM combines environmental expertise with ESG strategy, reporting & disclosure, climate, biodiversity, social impact, and risk. It specifically positions itself as a sustainability-focused advisory firm and works with major corporate clients. ERM ERM Best for: large public companies with complex environmental risks and a need for both reporting and substantive sustainability strategy.
• Anthesis — Particularly strong for ESG reporting itself. It supports materiality assessments, data collection, ESG reporting, regulatory readiness, CDP/GRI/ISSB and other frameworks, and reporting technology. Anthesis Anthesis Best for: companies looking for hands-on help producing an investor-grade sustainability report and building the underlying ESG data process.
• Ramboll — Combines environmental/engineering expertise with ESG strategy, climate risk, sustainability performance and reporting. It also supports CSRD and ISSB compliance. Ramboll Ramboll Best for: companies where ESG reporting needs to be grounded in substantial environmental, climate, engineering or operational analysis.
• WSP — A very large environmental and engineering consultancy with a substantial sustainability practice. It can be particularly useful when ESG reporting involves climate, buildings, infrastructure, environmental performance or physical risk.
• AECOM — Similar to WSP: particularly attractive for companies with significant physical assets, infrastructure, environmental compliance or climate-resilience issues.
• SLR Consulting — Strong environmental technical depth combined with sustainability consulting. A good option when the ESG report needs credible underlying environmental data rather than simply report-writing support.
• Tetra Tech — Particularly strong for technically intensive environmental work, climate, water, natural resources and environmental data. It can be a good fit when ESG reporting is closely connected to operational environmental programs.
• PwC — Not an environmental consultancy in the traditional sense, but a major option for public-company/investor-grade ESG reporting. PwC explicitly offers sustainability reporting, regulatory compliance, investor-grade metrics, technology-enabled reporting and sustainability assurance.

How I'd narrow it down

There is considerable overlap among these firms; an industry analysis of the environmental/sustainability consulting market includes AECOM, Anthesis, ERM, Ramboll, SLR, Tetra Tech and WSP among the major global players.

One important distinction: if this is for a public company, I'd look for a consultant that can make the ESG disclosures assurance-ready, not merely someone who can write a glossy sustainability report. Data governance, internal controls, materiality, emissions accounting, regulatory mapping and evidence trails are increasingly important. Anthesis, for example, explicitly describes its reporting work as assurance-ready and supports SEC, CSRD, ISSB, CDP and GRI-related reporting.

If you tell me the industry, approximate company size/market cap, and whether you're reporting under SEC/ISSB/CSRD, I can narrow this to the 5–7 firms I'd actually invite to an RFP and compare their likely strengths, weaknesses, and engagement models.

Environmental Resources Management (ERM) and specialized engineering firms like AECOM and WSP help public companies measure, manage, and execute transparent ESG and climate-related disclosures.

Public companies face strict reporting rules from agencies like the SEC and international bodies. They turn to specialized environmental consultancies and large professional services firms to align with frameworks like GRI, TCFD, and SASB.

Top Environmental and Sustainability Consulting Firms

Major Financial and Strategic Consultancies

In addition to pure environmental firms, large corporate advisors provide integrated ESG financial reporting, audit readiness, and disclosure controls:

• Deloitte : Enterprise-grade compliance, audit-ready ESG data systems, and reporting frameworks.
• PwC / EY / KPMG : Combining financial statement integration with rigorous ESG tracking and assurance.
• FTI Consulting : Regulatory compliance (CSRD, SEC) and stakeholder communication strategy.

If you'd like, let me know:

• Your industry or sector (e.g., energy, tech, manufacturing)
• Which reporting framework you need to target (SEC, CSRD, GRI)

I can help narrow down which firm has the best domain expertise for your company.

Public companies face increasingly stringent disclosure rules (such as SEC climate disclosure mandates, California climate accountability laws, and the EU's CSRD). To navigate these requirements, they typically rely on three main categories of firms: pure-play/technical environmental consultancies, major global engineering-environmental firms , and the Big Four accounting/management advisory networks.

1. Specialized & Pure-Play Sustainability Consultancies

These firms focus heavily on deep environmental science, carbon accounting, decarbonization pathways, and direct ESG/sustainability disclosures.

• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): Recognized as the world's largest pure-play sustainability consultancy. They work extensively with large multinational and public corporations on operationalizing ESG, regulatory readiness, and complex corporate reporting.
• Anthesis Group: A dedicated sustainability activator and consultancy helping major corporations with carbon footprint measurement, net-zero strategy, and transparent ESG disclosures.

2. Global Engineering & Environmental Consultancies

These large multi-disciplinary firms possess massive technical depth in physical asset management, Scope 1-3 emissions tracking, supply chain footprints, and engineering-heavy environmental impact data required for robust ESG reporting.

• WSP: A major global consultancy providing comprehensive advisory services on environmental engineering, climate resilience, and corporate sustainability reporting.
• AECOM: Frequently engaged by large public entities and corporations for environmental impact evaluations, technical data collection, and sustainability integration.
• Arcadis: Offers widespread advisory on environmental management, carbon reduction, water/waste tracking, and asset-level ESG data.
• Jacobs (Jacobs Solutions): Delivers critical technical consulting and data-driven solutions regarding environmental footprint reduction and public sector/corporate sustainability.

3. Big Four Accounting & Strategic Management Firms

Public companies often choose these firms because ESG reporting increasingly intersects with financial auditing, SEC compliance, and strict internal controls.

• PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers): Integrates ESG reporting directly into financial governance and SEC compliance frameworks for public registrants.
• Deloitte: Offers deep climate risk management and helps public companies weave non-financial ESG data into auditable corporate financial statements.
• EY (Ernst & Young): Features large Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCSS) teams assisting with reporting transparency and assurance readiness.
• KPMG: Highly ranked for climate change consulting, helping public companies with carbon, circular economy, and water/nature disclosures.
• FTI Consulting: Provides specialized crisis, risk, and ESG services tailored to navigating shifting regulatory mandates (SEC, CSRD, etc.).

If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know:

• What specific regulatory framework or stock exchange you are reporting for (e.g., SEC, CSRD)
• Whether you need a firm specializing in pure technical carbon accounting or financial audit-ready ESG reporting

I can give you a more tailored recommendation.

Yes. If you mean environmental/sustainability consulting firms that can help a publicly traded company with ESG data, strategy, and the actual sustainability disclosures, several established firms fit particularly well.

Strong candidates

• erm.com — Probably the strongest pure-play option. ERM provides end-to-end reporting and disclosure support, including materiality/double materiality, GRI/SASB/TCFD, ESG ratings, SEC and IFRS/ISSB readiness, data controls, and report development.
• wsp.com — Particularly attractive for companies needing technical environmental work behind the ESG report. WSP supports GHG/Scope 3 calculations, climate-risk analysis, ESG benchmarking, and reporting under GRI, SASB, CDP and other frameworks.
• ramboll.com — Strong environmental/climate engineering combined with ESG consulting. It supports ESG strategy, reporting tools, CSRD and ISSB, climate, biodiversity, water, human rights and sustainable finance.
• aecom.com — A good fit for asset-heavy public companies—particularly infrastructure, energy, mining, real estate and industrial companies. Its ESG practice combines reporting/advisory with technical capabilities such as decarbonization, climate resilience, water, nature and environmental risk.

How I'd narrow it down

One important distinction: ESG reporting consultants aren't necessarily the same as ESG assurance providers. For a public company, you may want a consultant to build the reporting process and disclosures, while an independent accounting/assurance firm provides limited or reasonable assurance over selected sustainability metrics.

If you tell me the country/exchange (e.g., TSX, NYSE, Nasdaq), industry, and approximate company size, I can narrow this to 5–10 firms that specifically serve public companies like yours, including smaller specialized boutiques rather than just the large global firms.

Public companies looking for robust Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting typically partner with specialized environmental engineering firms, dedicated sustainability consultancies, or multi-disciplinary professional services networks.

The top firms guiding public corporations through complex ESG disclosures, carbon accounting, and regulatory alignment (such as the CSRD or SEC climate rules) fall into a few key categories:

• Dedicated Sustainability & Environmental Specialists
  • ERM (Environmental Resources Management): Known as the world's leading pure-play sustainability consultancy, ERM exclusively focuses on EHS (Environment, Health, and Safety), low-carbon strategies, operational sustainability, and helping large public companies build audit-ready ESG data.
  • WSP: A massive global engineering and environmental firm with tens of thousands of Earth and Environment specialists who handle heavy technical tasks like Scope 1, 2, and 3 carbon accounting, life-cycle assessments, and physical climate risk modeling.
  • AECOM: A premier infrastructure and environmental consulting firm that helps heavy industrial, energy, and commercial public clients measure and mitigate environmental impacts to meet stringent disclosure demands.
  • Tetra Tech: Widely recognized for technical depth in water management, ecological restoration, and renewable energy, providing the hard data required for environmental disclosures.
• The "Big Four" Professional Services Networks
  • PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers): Frequently top-ranked for climate change and sustainability services, PwC bridges deep strategic consulting with financial audit heritage, making them a primary choice for public companies needing investor-grade reporting alongside formal ESG data assurance.
  • EY (Ernst & Young): Offers extensive Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) focused on tech-enabled data collection, decarbonization roadmaps, and regulatory compliance frameworks.
  • Deloitte: Operates one of the largest sustainability practices, supporting public corporations with greenhouse gas accounting, internal ESG readiness audits, and process discipline.
  • KPMG: Recognized as a market leader in climate change consulting, specializing in transition plans, sustainable finance, and complex multi-standard disclosures.
• Global Strategy & Management Consultancies
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) & McKinsey & Company: Both feature massive climate and sustainability practices well-suited for high-level macro ESG strategy, net-zero target setting, and integrating sustainability directly into a public company's core business model.

If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know:

• What industry is your company in?
• Are you prioritizing a specific reporting framework (like SEC rules, CSRD, or ISSB)?
• Do you need technical carbon accounting or strategic board-level ESG positioning?

Yes. For a public company that needs ESG/sustainability reporting support, several major environmental and sustainability consultancies have dedicated practices. The strongest candidates I’d put on a shortlist are:

A 2024 Verdantix assessment of the ESG/sustainability consulting market included Anthesis, ERM, Ramboll, SLR, WSP, Arcadis and the major accounting/strategy firms among the prominent providers.

My shortlist for a public company

If the primary need is actually producing a defensible annual ESG/sustainability report, rather than just developing an ESG strategy, I'd start with:

1. ERM — probably the strongest all-around choice for a large public company needing environmental expertise plus reporting/disclosure.
2. Anthesis — particularly attractive if you want a specialist ESG firm with substantial reporting/data-management capabilities.
3. Ramboll — strong choice where climate, environmental science, engineering or technical sustainability data are central.
4. WSP — worth considering for very large or technically complex organizations.

One important distinction: ESG reporting consulting isn't the same as financial-statement assurance. If the public company needs assurance over sustainability disclosures, you'll generally want to clarify whether the consultant is providing report preparation/readiness versus an independent assurance engagement.

If you tell me the industry, approximate revenue/size, and whether you're reporting under SEC, CSRD/ESRS, ISSB, GRI, or another framework, I can narrow this to 5–7 firms and compare their services, public-company experience, likely pricing model, and strengths/weaknesses.

For public companies navigating complex and heavily scrutinized ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting mandates (such as SEC climate disclosures, CSRD, and ISSB standards), specialized support typically comes from three main categories of firms: pure-play environmental/sustainability consultancies, large engineering-environment firms, and the "Big Four" professional services networks.

The top-rated firms supporting corporate and public ESG reporting include:

• ERM (Environmental Resources Management) : Widely recognized as a premier pure-play sustainability consultancy. ERM focuses exclusively on EHS (Environment, Health, and Safety), decarbonization roadmaps, climate risk assessment, and precise ESG disclosure strategies tailored for multinational and public enterprises.
• The Big Four (PwC, EY, Deloitte, KPMG) : While traditionally accounting and audit giants, each has built massive, multi-billion-dollar Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) practices. They are uniquely positioned for public companies because they seamlessly blend technical carbon accounting and data collection with the rigorous external assurance/auditing required for public financial and regulatory disclosures.
• WSP Global : A massive global engineering and environmental consultancy with a colossal Earth & Environment practice. WSP excels at providing deep, science-based data (such as localized ecological impact, water metrics, and heavy industrial decarbonization) that feeds directly into a company’s operational ESG disclosures.
• AECOM : A dominant multinational infrastructure and environmental services firm that assists major corporate and public entities with technical environmental impact metrics, permitting, asset-level data gathering, and alignment with corporate sustainability strategies.
• Anthesis Group : A prominent pure-play sustainability consultancy specializing in end-to-end ESG advisory, supply chain decarbonization, and helping organizations translate complex regulatory frameworks into actionable public disclosures.
• Ramboll : A prominent global engineering and environmental consultancy strong in climate adaptation, life-cycle analysis, and environmental data integrity for corporate reporting.

If you'd like to narrow this down, please let me know:

• What industry or sector is the public company in?
• Are you looking primarily for technical data collection/carbon accounting or audit-ready ESG reporting assurance?

Public companies typically use a mix of environmental consulting firms, sustainability advisors, and ESG assurance providers for ESG reporting. The right choice depends on whether you need help with data collection, climate strategy, regulatory disclosures, assurance readiness, or a full sustainability report.

Large environmental & sustainability consulting firms

Big Four firms often used by public companies

For SEC filings, investor communications, controls, and assurance readiness, public companies frequently also engage:

• Deloitte
• PwC
• EY
• KPMG

These firms commonly help align ESG reporting with frameworks such as ISSB, GRI, SASB, TCFD/TNFD, and regulatory requirements, and they often provide ESG assurance services.

Smaller/specialist ESG reporting providers

Depending on the need, public companies also work with specialists such as:

• SLR Consulting — environmental data, climate, sustainability reporting, and regulatory support.
• South Pole — carbon accounting, climate strategy, and decarbonization programs.
• Trinity Consultants — environmental compliance, emissions, and EHS data systems.

How public companies usually select a firm

• Need a sustainability report / ESG strategy: ERM, Anthesis, Big Four sustainability practices
• Need climate risk + environmental footprint data: WSP, AECOM, Tetra Tech, Jacobs, Stantec
• Need investor-grade disclosures and assurance readiness: Big Four firms plus ESG specialists
• Need complex industrial ESG data collection: environmental engineering firms paired with reporting advisors

For a publicly traded company, a common model is an environmental consultancy for underlying metrics + a Big Four firm for controls, assurance, and investor-facing disclosure alignment.

I can also provide a shortlist by industry (energy, manufacturing, technology, healthcare, real estate, etc.) or by company size (Fortune 500 vs. mid-cap public company).

Yes. For a public company that needs help with ESG/sustainability reporting, I’d separate the market into a few types of firms:

If the company is U.S.-listed

I'd particularly look at ERM, Anthesis, Ramboll, WSP, and the Big Four. The choice depends on what you actually need:

• Need the environmental data and technical analysis behind the report? → ERM, Ramboll, WSP
• Need someone to actually build/write the ESG report and reporting process? → Anthesis
• Need ESG reporting integrated with SEC/financial reporting, internal controls or assurance? → Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG
• Need a combination of environmental engineering + ESG reporting? → ERM, WSP or Ramboll

Anthesis is particularly explicit about supporting the full reporting process, including materiality, data collection, report preparation and regulatory frameworks such as SEC requirements, ISSB, CDP, GRI and CSRD. www.anthesisgroup.com Deloitte similarly combines reporting readiness with materiality, climate services and sustainability controls/governance.

If you're evaluating firms to hire for an actual public-company ESG reporting engagement, I can also narrow this to 10–15 firms that specifically have U.S. public-company experience, with approximate size, specialties, and whether they're more environmental consulting, ESG reporting, or Big Four/assurance.

Public companies face rigorous and evolving ESG disclosure requirements (such as SEC climate-related rules, CSRD, GRI, SASB, and TCFD/IFRS S2). Consequently, they typically turn to a mix of specialized pure-play environmental firms, massive engineering-environmental hybrids, the "Big Four" accounting firms, and top-tier management consultancies.

The prominent consulting firms helping public companies navigate and execute ESG reporting are organized below by category:

1. Pure-Play Sustainability & Environmental Specialists

• ERM (Environmental Resources Management) – Widely recognized as the world's largest pure-play sustainability consultancy. They specialize entirely in EHS (Environment, Health, and Safety), low-carbon transition strategies, Scope 1-3 carbon accounting, and audit-ready ESG disclosures.
• Anthesis Group – A prominent global pure-play sustainability consultancy that assists major corporations with data collection, footprinting, supply-chain transparency, and alignment with multiple reporting frameworks.
• TRC Companies – Features extensive experience in corporate sustainability and environmental engineering, offering data-driven solutions for greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and regulatory compliance reporting.

2. Global Environmental Engineering & Infrastructure Giants

• WSP – Possesses a massive Earth and Environment division with tens of thousands of technical specialists who help industrial and public entities gather baseline environmental data, manage climate risks, and complete technical reporting.
• AECOM – A Fortune 500 firm renowned for engineering and environmental management, supporting complex public enterprise footprints, asset resilience, and corporate sustainability legacies.
• Jacobs – Routinely ranked among the top global environmental and sustainability consultancies, offering comprehensive technical advisory on climate action, water stewardship, and decarbonization pathways.
• Arcadis – Combines deep engineering and environmental science to help capital-intensive public corporations measure, manage, and report on physical climate risks and operational impacts.

3. The "Big Four" Accounting & Professional Services Firms

• PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) – Highly integrated for public companies because they bridge deep carbon accounting with financial audit readiness, helping companies comply with strict regulatory frameworks and external assurance.
• EY (Ernst & Young) – Known for its robust Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS), leveraging tech-centric data platforms to manage complex ESG regulatory obligations.
• Deloitte – Consistently rated as a market leader in ESG and sustainability services, guiding enterprise transformation, double-materiality assessments, and controls for transparent disclosure.
• KPMG – Offers robust climate risk analysis, decarbonization roadmaps, and alignment with evolving investor-grade ESG data management workflows.

4. Strategic Management Consultancies

• McKinsey & Company & Boston Consulting Group (BCG) – Best suited for large-scale public corporations looking to tie ESG reporting into a complete corporate overhaul, net-zero business building, and long-term strategic positioning.

To help narrow down which firm fits your needs, what industry is your company in, and are you prioritizing technical carbon accounting/engineering data or financial-grade regulatory auditing?