ERM acquires Australian tech firms to boost sustainability strategies

ERM, a global expert in sustainability consultancy, has announced the acquisition of two Australian enterprise system specialists, The Big Middle and The Big Zero. Both companies are experts in Salesforce, Oracle, and WalkMe technologies and will support ERM's vision of providing amplified consultancy services that focus on sustainable environmental strategies.

The Big Middle is set to continue to lead as a technology service provider in Australia, specialising in systems integration of enterprise solutions. The company's impressive work in customer onboarding and training will persist, retaining Australia and New Zealand as their primary markets. Contrastingly, The Big Zero will utilise its expertise in ESG accounting systems to assist clients in establishing a unified source of environmental data.

Thomas Achhorner, Global Head of Digital Products and Data Analytics at ERM, stated, "Through the acquisition of The Big Zero, we can enable clients to better track and integrate environmental data seamlessly into their organisation, encompassing Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions, energy usage, as well as waste and water management from various sources." This integration effort aims to provide a holistic understanding of a company's environmental impact, thereby improving the journey towards reducing it.

Matthew Klein, Global Corporate Sustainability and Climate Change Co-Head at ERM, further added, "Combining ERM's decarbonisation strategy development and delivery expertise with The Big Zero and The Big Middle's wealth of system implementation experience, we can further support organisations in delivering comprehensive plans that will help them to drive their sustainability goals at scale."

Andrew McAdams, CEO of The Big Middle and The Big Zero, expressed his satisfaction at the merger by stating, "We are pleased to join ERM and bring our expertise to a company with tremendous purpose. We look forward to extending our technology capabilities to a broader market while continuing the focus on sustainability." His comments underscore the objective of the acquisition to bring about broad market accessibility and persistent emphasis on sustainability.

As the largest global pure-play sustainability consultancy, ERM creates innovative solutions to sustainability challenges and unlocks commercial opportunities that meet the needs of today while preserving opportunities for future generations.

ERM's diverse team of 8,000+ experts in over 150 offices in 40 countries and territories help clients drive sustainability at pace and scale by combining strategic transformation and technical delivery capabilities. ERM calls this its "boots to boardroom" approach, a comprehensive service model that helps organisations accelerate the integration of sustainability into their strategy and operations.

Overall, the acquisition of The Big Middle and The Big Zero by ERM underscores a strategic move towards integrating technical expertise with sustainability goals. The collaboration will allow clients to pursue their ambitions with a combination of strategic consultancy support and practical system implementation. It also highlights an important trend of consolidating technology and sustainability initiatives at the enterprise level to enable more comprehensive and efficient responses to environmental concerns.