Bristol-headquartered international environmental consultancy Eunomia Research & Consulting has made its first acquisition since it was launched 20 years ago in a move that strengthens is expertise in several areas.
The takeover of environmental and sustainability consultancy Collingwood Environmental Planning (CEP) adds 13 staff to Eunomia’s 100-plus consultants.
Eunomia said alongside continued strong organic growth, it would seek further complementary acquisitions in areas such as sustainable food, farming and transport.
While headquartered in London, CEP also has a small office in Bristol. Eunomia described the two businesses as “natural partners, driven by common values”. Financial details of the deal have not been revealed.
Eunomia, which was founded by Dominic Hogg in 2001, has grown to become one of the world’s leading environmental consultancies, advising the European Commission, governments and many of the world’s leading environmental NGOs, brands, retailers and materials companies in a range of areas linked to circular economy and decarbonisation.
Its consultants, who operate across offices in Manchester, London, New York, Brussels, Athens, Sydney and Auckland as well as Bristol, also carries out work on the natural economy, biodiversity and sustainable transport.
The CEP acquisition strengthens and widens Eunomia’s expertise and capacity in a number of key fields, including water and flood risk management, natural capital and green infrastructure, policy evaluation, climate change adaptation, environmental foresight and the social aspects of environmental change. 
Founded in 1995, CEP works with a range of public, private and non-governmental clients both in the UK and internationally, including EU institutions, to put the environment and communities at the heart of decision-making by promoting positive environmental, social and sustainability change through robust and innovative research, strategy and policy support.
Eunomia chair Joe Papineschi, pictured, who replaced Dr Hogg in the role last year, said: “We’re hugely excited that, through our first acquisition, we’re bringing CEP into the Eunomia group.
“Our two companies are natural partners, driven by common values. We both take an evidence-based approach to maximise the positive environmental and social impacts of our work and focus on providing high-quality advice with the aim of delivering practical solutions for clients.
“We’re a great home for the CEP team and thanks to their highly complementary skills and experience, together we will be able to expand our work in a number of key areas focused on the climate and biodiversity crises.
“The excellent reputation and track record of the CEP team allows us to offer services to a wider range of clients, increasing and amplifying the impact of our work.”
CEP managing director Ric Eales said: “I am personally hugely proud of what CEP has achieved over the last 26 years.
“What has made CEP different as an environmental and sustainability consultancy has been our ability to operate at the nexus of research and practice, our inter-disciplinary approach, and our focus on new challenges and innovative approaches.
“We are delighted to become a part of Eunomia, an organisation that shares our culture and values, along with our commitment to delivering quality and innovation for clients.
“This presents a fantastic opportunity to continue our journey and significantly enhance our ability to deliver positive change and real impact.”
In 2018 Eunomia was appointed to lead an EU-wide project to look at how products ranging from toys to cars and chemicals to furniture can be made, transported and disposed of more sustainably.
It has also worked with FIFA, the world football governing body, on a project to ensure that artificial pitches are as ‘green’ as possible by investigating the different types of materials used in artificial turf across the globe and assess their environmental impact.
