Climate and Resilience Solutions

ERG’s climate and resilience experts, including ERG’s Blue Earth Team, works at the forefront of public and private efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt for the future. We provide the full spectrum of climate services—from quantifying emissions to state-of-the-art mitigation and adaptation support designed to build community, environmental, and economic resilience at local, state, and federal levels. We work as practical visionaries in partnership with our public and private clients to develop and implement strategic solutions, including adaptation and mitigation strategies, as well as regulations and policies rooted in climate science. Our solutions include strategic decision-making approaches based on client priorities, conditions, and issues, as well as metrics and evaluation criteria to establish accountability and build trust and transparency. We ensure these solutions are informed by engaging stakeholders and local communities in well-designed processes each step of the way and by communicating clearly and compellingly to all audiences throughout the process.

GHG Emissions Quantification and Mitigation

ERG provides a full suite of services to support both voluntary and regulatory approaches to quantify and reduce GHG emissions. For example, we have helped the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency design, implement, and grow programs such as the Methane Challenge, AgSTAR, the Landfill Methane Outreach Program, and the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program for more than 20 years. Our project teams include the full range of expertise needed to support mitigation projects through every stage, from assessment to action. ERG air quality specialists inventory, characterize, and quantify emissions at facility, sector, national, and global scales. Our engineers, economists, and policy analysts assess the cost and performance of mitigation technologies to recommend emissions reduction opportunities across a wide variety of sectors. ERG communication specialists work with clients to design outreach and partnership strategies to support effective implementation of reduction opportunities.

  • Emissions quantification
    • Emission inventories at local, state, national, and global levels
    • GHG emissions data management, reporting, and verification
    • Technical guidance and tools to develop robust greenhouse gas inventories
    • Product and organizational carbon footprinting
    • Emissions reduction target development
  • Mitigation
    • Voluntary and regulatory program development, implementation, and evaluation
    • Development and evaluation of emissions reduction strategies
    • Quantification of mitigation costs and market and non-market benefits and impacts
    • Modeling of GHG emission reductions (decarbonization scenarios)
    • Offset project calculations and protocol development
Climate and Hazard Resilience

For over 15 years, ERG’s climate and hazard resilience team has supported multisector adaptation and mitigation projects for federal, state, regional, local, and nonprofit clients. Our approach to resilience is built on equity and sustainability. We use a collaborative framework designed to increase capacity through engagement based on client priorities and conditions. We involve working groups, stakeholders, and communities in each step of the process to identify strategies that most effectively enable our clients and their communities and stakeholders to thrive. ERG’s climate and hazard resilience team collaborates with experts in ERG’s other service areas to bring a powerful breadth and depth of experience and expertise to all our projects.

  • Design and implementation of plans and processes to promote climate resilience
    • Resilience plans and strategies
    • Vulnerability assessments and adaptation plans
    • Modeling and mapping
    • Climate action plans
    • Hazard mitigation plans
    • Integrated planning and policy documents
    • Stakeholder working groups
    • Multisector collaboratives
    • Community and stakeholder meeting series and events
    • Communication and engagement tools
  • Design of actions to reduce GHG emissions and build resilience
    • Multisector assessments of the quantitative and qualitative costs of inaction and benefits of actions
    • Multisector and single-sector expertise, including land use, transportation, water, and natural areas and open spaces
    • Strategies to reduce risks associated with all climate hazards, as well as other shocks and stressors
    • Green and blue infrastructure to reduce risks and foster ecological and community benefits
    • Multisector, multisource GHG mitigation strategies
    • Collaboratively designed adaptation actions to increase benefits to community (including vulnerable communities), industry, and the environment
    • Adaptation and implementation pathways to support decision-making, prompt effective actions, and provide a path forward to adapt over time
Climate Science

A solid understanding of the science—including causal mechanisms and impacts on earth systems, ecosystems, and public health and well-being—underlies all of ERG’s climate and resilience work. As a key contractor supporting several high-profile climate data and indicator initiatives over many years, ERG has acquired a deep familiarity with the best available observational data sources, which provide multiple lines of evidence to inform our technical analyses. Our experts and partners collaborate to analyze the best available global climate model projections. They also develop novel analyses that quantify and monetize climate change impacts and qualitatively assess benefits to communities and their local environment. Building on this information, they assemble comprehensive climate assessments at local, state, and federal scales. These assessments support ERG colleagues and clients in their climate adaptation, mitigation, justice, and resilience work.

  • Detailed analysis of observational data sets (e.g., weather, climate data, health statistics)
  • Physical climate projections
  • Climate change impact modeling
  • Climate assessments
  • Development and maintenance of indicators that track observed climate change
Climate Justice

ERG is committed to including environmental justice and equity at the foundation of our climate work. We develop goals and metrics in partnership with local communities and stakeholders to ensure that our climate work is accountable, transparent, and measurable. We prioritize adaptation and mitigation actions based on how well they address risks and harms to communities, and on their benefits to neighborhoods most affected by current and future hazards. We collaborate with ERG team members working in other areas of our climate and resilience solutions practice to integrate climate justice into those projects.

  • Community engagement and support
    • Community engagement tools and approaches
    • Community-driven planning processes and assessments
    • Visioning and goal development
    • Citizen and participatory science
    • Climate and hazard resilience planning
    • Regulatory program support for communities
    • Governance and organizational effectiveness
    • Capacity building
  • Technical and analytical support
    • Environmental and public health analyses
    • Climate change impact disparities
    • Economic and social impact analyses
    • Modelling, mapping, and data support for impact assessments
    • Air and water quality assessments
    • Cumulative impacts, including climate hazards
Climate Communications

Translating good science and good policy into climate action requires effective communication to bring people together around a shared understanding, help them know what they can do and how, and inspire them to act. ERG has a track record of demystifying complex climate issues and conveying science in readily understandable words and images without sacrificing accuracy. Our strategic communication specialists work in partnership with our clients, ERG technical project teams, and communities to identify the most effective approach, tailoring processes and communications to specific conditions and issues based on assessment findings and identified goals and objectives. In all our work, we emphasize collaborative solutions, actionable recommendations, and measurable improvements to ensure an effective response.

  • Public and stakeholder outreach and engagement
  • Conveying climate science in understandable words and images
  • Data visualization and web tools
  • Education and training
  • Capacity building for climate programs
  • Technical assistance programs for multiple audiences
  • Development of climate tools for public use, such as emission calculators and interactive models
  • Risk communication

Projects

Photo of a US EPA Research boat on a trailer under a shaded area
Laboratory Resilience Assessments

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

GHG inventory graph
University GHG Inventory Development, Analysis, and Modeling

Large private research university

report cover for 2022 Massachusetts Climate Change Assessment
Stakeholder Engagement Support for the 2022 Massachusetts Climate Change Assessment

Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

photo of bicycles parked outside an office building
University Campus Sustainability Plan

Medium-sized public university

Screenshot of graph showing EPA's Annual Energy Intensity Reductions
Support for Meeting Safety, Sustainability, and Climate Resiliency Executive Order Requirements

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Photo of children outside a school bus door. Flyer of the EPA Clean School Bus Program
Support to EPA’s Clean School Bus Program

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Photo of a river viewed from a distance with a lighted roadway bridge passing over it.
Comprehensive Update of Massachusetts “State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan”

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency

Screenshot of first step of AVERT Web Edition
Development of EPA’s AVoided Emissions and geneRation Tool (AVERT)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

diagram of waste water flow from community to waste water treatment plant out to local waterway
Life Cycle Assessment of Wastewater Treatment Upgrade Options to Improve Nutrient Removal

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

satellite map view of Greene Valley RDF
Helping EPA Reduce Landfill Methane Emissions

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

photo of plugging in an electric car charger
Modeling Electric Transportation and Other Climate Solutions for the State of Maine

Maine Governor’s Office for Policy Innovation and the Future

Photo of NYC in distance with smoke stakes and a pipe running over the water toward the city.
Incorporating Out-of-State Fuel Cycle Emissions in New York State’s GHG Inventory

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

California’s Russian River on a sunny day
Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Sonoma County Water Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

chart showing global warming potential results per gallon of recycled water delivered
NEWR Calculator

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Refinery tanks and conveyor belts
Updates to the GREET Model

Argonne National Laboratory

Field showing ears of corn with husks pulled down
Assessing the Environmental and Socioeconomic Impacts of Biofuels Production Using Input-Output Modeling

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

US EPA page topic of US Environmentally-Extended Input-Output (USEEIO) Models
Including Environmental Metrics in the USEEIO Model for Sector and Commodity Assessment

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Photo of high power lines
Regional Life Cycle Assessment Tool for U.S. Electricity

National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Large red freight truck driving down a highway
Helping Green Freight Programs Succeed at Home and Abroad

International Council on Clean Transportation, Natural Resources Canada, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

3 photo examples of Anthropogenic Methane Emissions
Helping EPA Reduce Anthropogenic Methane Emissions

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2019
Improving the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Photo of a classroom setting of adults
Facilitating Community-Driven Solutions to Climate Change in Alameda, California

City of Alameda

Aerial view of flood water in the Cedar River running through Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Increasing Community Resilience to Climate Crises

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Photo of houses in Barrow, Alaska and a signpost pointing to far-away places
Saving Lives and Infrastructure in Western Alaska Native Villages

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service

Photo showing colorful new homes in Raleigh, North Carolina
Developing Climate Justice Solutions in Raleigh, North Carolina

City of Raleigh

Close up view of pine cone hanging from a branch, surrounded by green pine needles
First Industry-Wide Greenhouse Gas and Energy Life Cycle Assessment of Pine Chemicals

American Chemistry Council

Covers and/or pages from several EPA "Climate Change Indicators in the United States" publications
Climate Indicators Report

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Aerial view of flood waters surging through local area with residential streets and homes.
Flash Flood Summit and Stakeholder Engagement

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Three professionals stand and talk in front of a poster display about the Global Methane Initiative
Support for EPA's Global Methane Initiative

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Screenshot of EPA's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Tool webpage showing four dropdown menus and images illustrating relative percentages of GHG emissions by emission type and economic sector
Digital Transformation of EPA's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency


Service Area Leads

Photo of Jeanette Alvis

I’m fortunate to have interned in both the private sector and with EPA during my college years as it gave me valuable perspective that has served me well ever since. I believe I found the best of both worlds at ERG as we work to support EPA’s mission, and I’m grateful to do work that makes a real difference in solving environmental issues.

Jeanette Alvis

Julie Blue Bio

I feel fortunate to work with so many dedicated researchers at EPA and other agencies on remediating contaminated water sources, adapting to climate change, and providing decision-support in related areas. While my particular expertise is groundwater, I’ve had the opportunity to lead projects in urban planning, coral reefs, climate change resilience, emergency response, stormwater, modeling, and more. Multi-disciplinary approaches are helpful for tackling all these issues, and I’m always learning.

Julie Blue

Photo of John Carter

In my experience, effective climate action requires invested leadership, multidisciplinary expertise to address all sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and equitable stakeholder engagement to guide and successfully implement new policies and strategies. I have had the pleasure of managing several climate action plan projects, guiding both municipalities and universities through the process of developing and implementing their unique plans, and I’m proud of the positive benefits those plans have brought to stem the effects of climate change.

John Carter

Monika Chandra

I am inspired every day by my work with clients and colleagues dedicated to improving our environment—and by our shared goal of developing superior, technically sound solutions to some of our nation’s most challenging environmental issues.

Monika Chandra

Evan Fago

I view every interaction as an opportunity to learn something new. Through my work at ERG, I feel fortunate to be surrounded by an amazing group of colleagues who share a sense of curiosity and a strong desire to innovate and grow our collective expertise so that we can better serve our clients and make the world more sustainable, equitable, and compassionate.

Evan Fago

Charlie Goff

In the coming decades, the world must decarbonize its energy use to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, while simultaneously investing in measures to make the energy system more resilient to a changing climate. This transition presents many challenges, and how we meet these challenges will greatly impact our world’s economic, environmental, political, and social state. I’m proud to work with ERG’s clients to help facilitate this transition so that we can all live in a safer, more prosperous, and healthy world.

Charlie Goff

Photo of Charles Goodhue

As an economist, I have come to appreciate that the qualitative context—including co-benefits, benefits distribution, environmental and health impacts, and social and political obstacles—can be as essential to decision-making as the numerical outputs. I enjoy working holistically with my government and community clients to determine how best to meet their needs and communicate the results.

Charles Goodhue

Cortney Itle

I enjoy ERG’s collaborative work environment and helping to develop solutions to complex environmental problems. I find my work very fulfilling, both professionally and personally.

Cortney Itle

Chris Lamie

My work is all about continual improvement. Whether it’s tackling emerging challenges in our environment, setting and working toward incremental sustainability goals, or designing information products that reach new audiences in innovative ways, I enjoy opportunities to raise awareness, raise the discourse, and help our clients improve human well-being and the health of our planet.

Chris Lamie

Photo of Brandon Long

I first became immersed in the environmental field through an internship in the oil and gas industry, where I evaluated greenhouse gas emission reduction technologies (considered novel at the time), including technologies promoted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Since then I have come full circle, supporting EPA in promoting GHG mitigation technologies and analyzing reductions in oil and gas industry GHG emissions.

Brandon Long

Lindy Lowe

My favorite problems are the difficult ones—those sticky, multi-jurisdictional, multi-sector problems that require us to find new partners, develop new frameworks for working together, and be brave, humble, and kind. I love building frameworks that enable the person with the least amount of power and the person with the most amount of power to share their perspectives and contribute to solutions. Whatever the issue, my goals are to develop transparent, equitable, and effective solutions and to have fun along the way!

Lindy Lowe

Scott Warner

The most rewarding aspect of my career at ERG has been the opportunity to work each day with colleagues and clients who share a commitment to a clean energy future.

Scott Warner