The revised standard BS 10175:2026 Investigation of potentially contaminated sites Code of practice was published in January 2026. This edition thoroughly updates and reviews the previous edition. It also places additional emphasis on sustainability and advocates adoption of Sustainable Management Practices (SMPs) within Section 4.2 of the new standard.
SMPs, originally developed by CL:AIRE (2021), are described “common-sense actions that can be implemented at any stage in a project to improve its environmental, social and/or economic performance”. Over the last two years, RSK Geosciences has developed its own SMP tool as part of our commitment to sustainability in everything we do. Our tool focuses on two main aspects – enhancing the sustainability of delivery of our geo-environmental projects and supporting our clients to achieve more sustainable outcomes for land development and management.
The tool is designed to help our project teams identify, track, and showcase best practice. The tool provides a structured way to quickly capture the positive environmental and social impacts delivered through our projects for clients. While many SMPs reflect good professional practice or align with existing SHE or quality requirements, others encourage teams to apply innovative, sustainable solutions on site – from reducing our carbon emissions to delivering enhanced social value. These practices help ensure that work is completed efficiently, safely, and with reduced environmental footprint. The tool also enables us to track how we are supporting our clients achieve more sustainable development, such as advising on materials reuse, soil conservation or supporting climate resilient development, supporting ESG reporting.
The new SMP tool is now being adopted as standard on all geo-environmental projects to support compliance with BS 10175:2026 and to provide visibility of how sustainable practices are being implemented across the business. Detailed SMP records for individual projects can also be supplied to clients on request.
By focusing on reducing time, cost, risk, and environmental impact, SMPs help RSK Geosciences deliver projects to the highest technical standards while embedding sustainability at every stage.
