Leaders in Action: HKS, Inc.

Implementing a future-focused strategy to create a climate-positive future: HKS, Inc.  

As global priorities evolve in response to mounting social and environmental pressures, companies increasingly align their strategies with forward-looking benchmarks promoting progress, resilience, and sustainability. As it’s responsible for nearly 40% of emissions from global real estate, it's calculated that the buildings and construction sector has to accelerate its decarbonization from six to ten points per year to stay on track for the 2030 climate goals. Businesses today have a unique opportunity to shape a more sustainable and equitable future — one grounded in responsible growth, collaboration, and long-term value creation. 

Through its participation in our previous SDG Ambition Accelerator program, HKS, Inc. has further sharpened its approach to aligning with the ambitions of the 2030 agenda. HKS, Inc. embeds the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its business strategy and design philosophy, committing to carbon neutrality in its operations and setting a goal to eliminate operational carbon from all active design work by 2030. The firm integrates sustainability, health, and equity into its projects, leveraging certifications like LEED, WELL, and Fitwel, alongside in-house research to measure and enhance environmental and social impact. Here’s how their journey through our programming sharpened their approach: 

1. Can you provide an overview of your company’s efforts to align with the 2030 Agenda?  

Our commitment to aligning with the SDGs is integrated into our organizational practices and strategies. Citizen HKS, our public interest design projects, explicitly integrate selected SDGs into their planning and execution, supporting meaningful, measurable impacts for communities. We prioritize SDG-aligned carbon offset projects when procuring our offset portfolio to achieve carbon neutrality for our operations annually. Additionally, we map our annual ESG reporting and Design Excellence Framework for the design work we do for our clients to the SDGs, systematically guiding our work toward global sustainability benchmarks.  

2. How has participating in the SDG Ambition Accelerator (now the Sustainability Integration Program) reshaped your company’s long-term sustainability vision and priorities?  

We walked in with goals and walked out with a game plan. Participating in the SDG Ambition Accelerator was a meaningful experience for HKS, providing targeted support that sharpened our long-term sustainability vision. The structured workshops and facilitated sessions bridged our big picture goals with practical, everyday business realities, enabling us to develop clear, actionable strategies. The experience deepened our understanding of the tasks at hand and reinforced our commitment to sustainability as a core driver of our organizational success and innovation. The collaborative nature of the program, which included learning from other industries and recognizing shared challenges and opportunities across sectors, was particularly beneficial from an educational and strategic perspective. Any company focused on transformation can leverage this program to do so in a responsible and forward-looking way. 

3. How has the program impacted your company’s approach to sustainability integration?  

We had the vision, but we needed a framework to make it real. The SDG Accelerator gave us the roadmap. The Accelerator directly facilitated our translation of broad sustainability ambitions into tangible business practices and policies. Through targeted support, we have developed comprehensive tools, including our approach to renewable energy credits (RECs), and our Green Lease and Green Operations policies, which are now undergoing leadership approval. These practical outcomes exemplify the Accelerator’s impact, enabling us to systematically embed SDGs into our everyday business processes and operational culture. The program encouraged meaningful collaboration between our sustainability, operations, design, and enterprise teams, helping us explore how we might embed SDG priorities more holistically into our decision-making processes. The Accelerator also influenced our internal culture, fostering a deeper sense of ownership and urgency among cross-functional teams to champion sustainability and SDG alignment in their daily work.  

4. Can you share an example of a specific target your company has worked toward and the measurable progress you’ve achieved?  

Guided by the Accelerator, we advanced our commitment to SDG 13: Climate Action by achieving a 19.2% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since joining the program, contributing to our overall 53% reduction since 2018. We also initiated the procurement of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to address Scope 2 emissions and developed Green Lease and Green Operations policies, both of which are nearing final approval, to integrate climate action into our operations. Additionally, through our participation in the UN Target Gender Equality program, we also strengthened our commitment to SDG 5: Gender Equality, increasing women in managerial roles from 38% to 41%, and expanded opportunities for underrepresented groups through fellowships and scholarships (SDG 4, SDG 10).  

5. What challenges have you faced in aligning your business strategy with the SDGs, and how have you overcome them?  

One of our biggest challenges has been demonstrating to stakeholders how sustainability is connected to business results. During the Accelerator’s communications session, we picked up a great tip: use the phrase “just imagine” to spark curiosity. That simple shift helped us paint a vivid picture of what’s possible, making the impacts feel real and getting people more excited about turning the SDGs into business opportunities. That mindset shift brought new energy to our conversations, reframing our work from “less bad” to regenerative. Just imagine the possibilities. 

6. How have you integrated SDG benchmarks into your business operations and decision-making? /OR/ What guidance would you offer to organizations embarking on their sustainability journey and seeking to align their strategies with the SDGs?  

The Accelerator helped us integrate the SDGs by giving structure with clear metrics and methods, but also by making us think through our teams, business units, and asks. That exercise streamlined how we collect ESG data and led to new systems and accountability measures. For others starting out, I’d say: use a framework to turn big goals into small, actionable steps, and make sure roles are clear so progress sticks. 

In architecture and design, data reflects committing to sustainable practices is a business imperative that drives long-term value. In 2022, buildings were responsible for 34 per cent of global energy demand and 37 per cent of energy and process-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, positioning architects and designers at the center of climate solutions, where innovative, high-performance design can dramatically cut energy use, lower operational costs, and enhance resilience.  

By prioritizing and operationalizing a sustainable-focused strategy grounded in a progressive framework, firms not only future-proof against new regulations and resource scarcity but also create healthier, more productive spaces that attract clients, investors, and talent, making sustainability both a competitive advantage and a pathway to solidifying business growth. 

Since 2020, our SDG Ambition Accelerator has helped more than 80 U.S. companies move beyond incremental progress and set bold, forward-looking targets. While the program has concluded, its strong impact and continued demand has inspired Network USA to build on this foundation. 

If you are interested in joining next year's cohort of the Sustainability Integration Program, please contact us for more details.