ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH & SOCIAL MANAGEMENT

ERC provides cutting-edge environmental research and social management services for industries including: oil & gas, petrochemical, mining, agro-business, transport, building & construction, academic institutions, and consumers requiring independent environmental services. We assist clients in developing Environmental and Social Management Systems (ESMS) in line with IFC and World Bank commitments to sustainability — defining procedures for identifying, assessing, and managing environmental and social risks of financial transactions, establishing decision-making processes, and describing roles and responsibilities.

Our extensive experience in environmental monitoring, assessment processes, and regulatory compliance always benefits our clients. ERC uses advanced environmental models to conduct air quality monitoring, air emission testing and modelling, water quality assessments, effluent and sediment quality assessments — supporting planning applications, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), and permitting processes. The company also specialises in feasibility studies for environmental investments, providing tailored advice to prospective clients.

Our primary areas of expertise include: water quality, effluent and plume modelling, marine surveys/studies, shoreline surveys/studies, ambient air quality monitoring, air emissions and flue gas monitoring and modelling, ambient noise monitoring and modelling, marine and terrestrial biodiversity monitoring, soil and sediment assessment, and municipal solid waste assessment.

We can help you with all your routine and non-routine environmental analyses, experiments, examinations, evaluations, inspections, certifications, and research studies such as:

AEnvironmental & Social Impact Assessments (ESIA)

ERC provides a diverse range of services to assist clients who need to undertake an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) to ensure compliance with local legal and lender requirements. Our ESIA team supports clients throughout the entire process — from the Scoping Stage, Stakeholder Consultation, and Baseline Studies through to Environmental Statement Reporting. Our procedures are aligned with World Bank and IFC Performance Standards, as well as Ghana's Environmental Assessment Regulations, 1999 (LI 1652).

The team is dedicated to making decisions that benefit the client by promoting project efficiency and continuous environmental improvement, aimed at minimising or eliminating risks and impacts. We have successfully completed numerous major projects in Ghana, including ESIAs for petroleum pipelines/oil tank farms, supercritical coal-fired power plants, petroleum wharf complexes, and waste-to-energy power plants.

Environmental Context Evaluation Studies (ECES)

ERC’s team of experts can provide the full spectrum of ECES to identify and analyse environmental sensitivities and impacts associated with a new development aimed at supporting decision-making process. From the desktop studies to on-site support services, our team will assess and identify impacts, criticality’s and affected components of the scope new development.

Environmental and Social Management Systems (ESMS)

ERC provides a systematic procedure for clients to check projects for potential adverse environmental and social impacts and to ensure negative impacts are minimised to the extent possible while enhancing positive impacts. We advise clients on their financial institution’s commitment to environmental and social management using the IFC Performance Standards. We also provide guidance on how to screen and categorise transactions based on their environmental and social risk, conduct environmental and social assessment, restoration and management of natural resources and biodiversity, waste minimisation and environmental economics for projects.

Environmental Due Diligence (EDD)

We provide tailored environmental due diligence audits to support client's and investors decision making on acquisitions and mergers. We identify potential environmental, health and safety (EHS) and sustainability issues. We go further to assist with the management and identification of opportunities that can significantly enhance capital and operational cost.

Project Life Cycle Assessments

We help our clients by analysing all environmental impacts throughout the project life cycle. Our team offers an approach that provides a comprehensive view of the project or process, and an accurate picture of the true environmental trade-offs inherent in decisions and product selections. We provide measures that address the environmental aspects and potential environmental impacts in line with ISO 14040:2006.

Post Impact Assessment Studies (PIAS)

ERC has been in the forefront of the consulting firms in Ghana working on Post Impact Assessment Studies. Our experience in the environmental assessment processes and regulatory requirements always inure to the benefit of our clients. ERC integrates data collected during the ESIA and post construction monitoring coupled with robust environmental models to carry out Post Impact Assessment Studies. The company is specialised in carrying out feasibility studies for tailored advice to prospective clients.

Socio-economic, Stakeholder Consultations & Community Engagements

ERC offers a full range of socio-economic studies, stakeholder and community engagement services throughout the project life cycle in line with local legislation and lender requirements (IFC Environmental and Social Performance Standards). We develop a comprehensive Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) detailing the stakeholder management process, involving managing stakeholder expectations, and effectively interacting with stakeholders/community and support project interest, ensuring required social objectives set out in the ESIA and ESMS are attained. Our team have extensive practical and technical experience in engaging stakeholders and communities for projects including oil and gas and energy. We also assist client's with any Interface management and associated engagement/consultation required to develop consensus, expedite and finalise project approval.

Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs)

At ERC, we work with clients to choose the most cost-effective resettlement action plan designed to mitigate the social risks and impacts caused by projects and to avoid and minimise impoverishment of Project Affected Persons (PAPs). The RAPs are prepared in line with local legislation and IFC/WB Operational policy and Performance Standards and based on comprehensive analysis of the socioeconomic context and ethnographic analysis of PAPs.

Biodiversity Assessments, Ecosystem Services & Management Plans

We provide a full range of studies into biodiversity conservation, ecological impact and offsetting studies with emphasis on No-net loss in line with World Bank and IFC requirements. Our team has extensive experience in providing support services for decision making, policy and action for the conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity. ERC has a strong track record of completing major projects in this field such as Mangrove Biodiversity Offsetting and Restoration; Mangrove Biodiversity Action Plan, Habitat Surveys; No- Net Loss Assessment and Ecological Baseline Assessment.

Environmental Health and Ecological Risk Assessments (EHERA)

ERC is specialises in the performance of Environmental Health and Ecological Risk Assessments of contaminated sites in support of decision-making related to land remediation and development. We are committed to providing cost-effective, tailored and sustainable solutions. We have conducted human health and ecological risk assessments on behalf of private and public sector clients across a wide range of industries including contaminated mine sites, landfills, etc. We are experienced in analysing risks associated with a wide-variety of environmental contaminants including metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides and chlorinated and non-chlorinated organic compounds.

Emergency Response Plans (ERPs)

Our HSE Officers are dedicated and obliged to provide emergency management services in the following areas: Risk analysis and preparedness; Emergency response; Job Risk Assessment, Risk Assessment Plan, Emergency management planning; Post-disaster recovery and Technology support under both National and International guidelines.

Effluent, Water Quality Monitoring and Analysis

ERC owns a laboratory that is ISO 17025:2017 accredited. The laboratory is equipped with modern water quality equipment for on-site and real-time analysis of all the AKOBEN audit parameters. Our portable state-of-the-art equipment/monitors provide an easy way to generate and store real-time data, which allows real-time decision making. Essentially, they provide better on-site characterisation, with pollution hotspots and contamination sources more easily identified.

The company boasts of a modern lab equipped with cutting-edge equipment (e.g., FTIR, GC-FID/MS, Spectrometers, HPLC/MSD) for testing trace metals (Pb, Hg, Cd, Cu, Fe, As, Ni, Zn, etc.), dissolved inorganic substances (e.g., Cyanide, WAD, Total cyanide), organic waste (BOD, COD), organic chemicals (pesticides & PCBs), oil slicks and thermal pollution.

ERC also specialises in and provides research services in:

• Accidental contamination events and pollution modelling (i.e., pollutant dispersion model, ecological impact modelling, thermal plume modelling).
• Monitoring of rivers, lakes, reservoirs, seawater
• Industrial effluent monitoring
• Groundwater monitoring / natural attenuation
• Drinking water intake distribution
• Water column profile assessment
• Bathymetric and hydrographical surveys
• Toxicological assessment of heavy metal bioaccumulation studies
• Sediment quality and metal contamination

Our confidence in the use of standard methods and cutting-edge equipment, combined with a firm commitment to quality assurance, ensures accurate data production.

Formation Water Quality Analysis (cations and anions analysis)

ERC's state-of-the-art and ISO 17025:2017 accredited laboratory provides detailed water quality (formation, produced water, groundwater, surface water) compositional analysis to give clients a better understanding of the chemistry of water. The compositional analysis (cations and anions) is conducted in accordance with the latest versions of standard methods including APHA, ASTM, EPA and ISO.

Ambient Air Quality studies including asbestos analysis

ERC has the state-of-the-art flexible instrument and time-integrated air monitoring instruments to measure air pollutants including ozone (O₃), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NO_x), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), ammonia (NH₃), methane (CH₄), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, xylene, ethylene oxide, total petroleum hydrocarbons, formaldehyde, perchlorate, styrene, hydrocyanic acid, phosphine, particulate matter (TSP, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, PM₁), noise levels and meteorological parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, liquid precipitation & barometric pressure in real time with data logged every minute. We also provide field sampling and lab testing for asbestos fibres.

Noise Mapping and Modeling

Noise mapping is an integral part of developing an ambient noise strategy, and for ensuring that current and future noise levels are in compliance with existing national legislative standards. ERC offers a noise mapping service consistent with national and international requirements. ERC also has the capacity to develop noise dispersion model and mapping to assist companies in delineating regulatory compliance points, and also assess their impacts on sensitive receptors or receivers.

1. Indoor Air Quality monitoring
2. Industrial emissions and Greenhouse Gas (GHS) Studies

Air Emissions & Flue Gas Monitoring

ERC specialises in monitoring flue gases of industrial boilers, heaters and dryers, kilns/furnaces, combustion engines, turbines, and chemical analysis laboratories. The company has customised stack emission analysers with capacity to measure flue gases and other important stack emission parameters including CO, CO₂, NO, NO_x, NO₂, SO₂, O₂, H₂S, C_xH_y, gas temperature, gas velocity, system efficiency, smoke index, and mass emission rate — all in real-time and on-site. This enables ERC to undertake stack modelling of ground-level concentrations of pollutants with ease, supporting permitting, impact assessment, and management purposes.

Carbon footprint and Climate Risks Studies

With its expertise in calculating and managing emissions data, ERC offers a range of services to assess greenhouse gas emissions, from determining the carbon footprint of a single industrial process, to compiling a greenhouse gas inventory for a whole geographical area. Emissions from transport, industrial, heating and agricultural activities are calculated and stored using state-of the-art software package. Carbon footprint inventory forms a key part of an Environmental Strategy for the development of future policies to reduce carbon emissions, and will be a dynamic source of information for years to come.

Climate change poses significant risks, and opportunities, to our business. We help - client through comprehensive climate risk studies, in assessing how environmental - changes may impact business operations, supply chains, and long-term growth. 1 We employ modelling tools and scenario planning to identify physical risks such as extreme weather, flooding, and drought, alongside transitional risks from evolving regulations and market shifts.

Water Quality Monitoring & Assessment

ERC is equipped with modern water quality equipment for on-site and real-time analysis for regulatory purposes (sector-specific requirements). Our portable, state-of-the-art equipment/monitors provide an easy way to generate and store real-time data, which allows real-time decision making. Essentially, they provide better on-site characterisation, with pollution hotspots and contamination sources more easily identified.

The company boasts a modern laboratory equipped with cutting-edge equipment (e.g., ICP-MS, FTIR, Spectrometers, HPLC/MSD, Flame Photometers, Photometers) for testing trace metals (Pb, Hg, Cd, Cu, Fe, As, Ni, Zn, etc.), dissolved inorganic substances (e.g., Cyanide, WAD, Total cyanide), organic waste (BOD, COD), organic chemicals (pesticides & PCBs), oil slicks and thermal pollution.

ERC also specialises and provides research services in:

• Accidental contamination events and pollution modelling (i.e., pollutant dispersion modelling, ecological impact modelling, thermal plume modelling).
• Monitoring of rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and seawater
• Industrial effluent monitoring
• Groundwater monitoring / natural attenuation
• Drinking water intake distribution
• Water column profile assessment
• Bathymetric and hydrographical surveys
• Toxicological assessment of heavy metal bioaccumulation studies
• Sediment quality and metal contamination