June 2011 - Parsons Brinckerhoff

Roundtable
These capabilities, when considered under a sustainability umbrella, provide a very
strong and excellent record to address sustainability in the context of transportation
improvement.
Gary McVoy
I agree. Sustainability is a system-wide concept. You’ve got to have a very broad
perspective and a great breadth of expertise and credibility if you’re going to deal
with it. You have to remember that it’s not sustainable transportation so much as
it is transportation in support of a sustainable society. You’ve got to talk about the
complete package and how the different elements fit together, being mindful of the
impacts and the opportunities to contribute to the triple bottom line; but it’s a triple
bottom line for society, not transportation.
Peter Halsall
My take is that sustainability is an ecological balance over the long term. I believe
that you only get there if you’ve got something that delivers social equity and fits
your economic paradigm. If your economic paradigm is sustainable then it’ll deliver
ecological balance.
Gary McVoy
There’s almost a Darwinian component to it. The real test is if we continue in this way
for the next 100 years are we going to continue as a species in a desirable way? Have
we made provisions for evolving and adapting and meeting the needs of the future?
Have we somehow compromised that? That’s the real test.
Peter Halsall
I think it is important to look at where you want to be in the future, work backwards
to today, and determine the steps that you’re going to take. It involves engaging
everybody—be it economists, engineers, and people dealing with societal issues.
We end up saying, “How far off the mark are we going to be and are we prepared to
accept that?”
“The real test is if we
continue in this way for
the next 100 years are
we going to continue
as a species in a
desirable way?”
Gary McVoy
“Approaching
sustainability through
the triple bottom line is
what gives you a sense
of what the tradeoffs
are. Understanding
tradeoffs is extremely
important.”
Michael Meyer
Gary McVoy
It is extremely difficult to pull all of the different levels of expertise and disciplines
that are involved together into a big picture. They’re all looking at their own interests
through their own lenses of experience and expertise. It’s a hard thing to bring all
these conflicting interests together, which is where I think PB is strong as a company.
PB’s business is bringing together experts from different disciplines under one
umbrella, and effectively working together to be sure that our projects meet the
overall public good.
Moderator
How does PB promote sustainability?
Gary McVoy
Focusing on the triple bottom line in sustainability and continuing to reinforce that,
internally and externally, is something that we have done, we can do more, and we
can do better.
Michael Meyer
Approaching sustainability through the triple bottom line is what gives you a sense of
what the tradeoffs are. Understanding tradeoffs is extremely important.
2 | Discourse on the Global Sustainability Initiative