Sulmara is pleased to announce the appointment of its first Senior Sustainability Advisor, marking an important step in the company’s ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainable growth.

With over 20 years of experience in sustainability, environmental protection, and carbon management across the energy industry and public sector, Karen Simpson brings a wealth of expertise that will play a crucial role in helping Sulmara achieve its ambitious Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals.

Karen, who was previously a consultant for Sulmara, said: “My main aim is to embed sustainable practices into everything we do to drive towards a more sustainable future for Sulmara and the industry. As part of this, I’ll be focusing on supporting both onshore and offshore teams with environmental and sustainability projects.

“I’ll also be calculating our global carbon footprint and analysing trends to help steer carbon reduction strategies to the most relevant scopes as well as working on Sulmara’s ESG strategy to ensure we are continuing to align with broader net zero goals and industry best practice. ”

With a degree in chemistry, specialising in environmental chemistry, Karen began her career at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) as an inorganic chemist before advancing to the role of Environmental Protection Officer, where she combined her knowledge and analytical expertise to develop environmental protection strategies.

This led to Karen transitioning into advisory roles in the private sector, specialising in sustainability and carbon management while also volunteering as a team lead for corporate social responsibility.

She then moved on from the private sector to take up consultant roles in ESG and carbon management, working in the energy industry. Through consulting for Sulmara, Karen gained insight into the company’s sustainability goals and operational strategies, ultimately paving the way for her appointment at the company.

“I was excited to learn that Sulmara uses innovative solutions to reduce environmental risks on projects,” said Karen. “In particular, their use of unmanned surface vehicles (USV), which are more sustainable and limit the risks to marine communities compared with legacy survey methods, while also helping clients deliver on their own net-zero targets. Engaging with our supply chain is integral to helping all parties achieve their internal goals and targets on net zero.”

Sulmara is committed to supporting the global effort to combat climate change with the company’s rapid growth and success to date stemming from using expertise and technology to provide more efficient survey services with a lower carbon footprint.

Between 2023 and 2024, the firm achieved carbon neutrality status for its respective global and UK operations against the BSI PAS 2060:2014 standard which is the only internationally recognised, accepted, and respected standard for carbon neutrality.

Karen’s extensive experience provides a solid foundation for influencing further positive change within Sulmara and across the wider industry. She said: "My goal is to instil a culture of continuous improvement - better data management, stronger controls, and a greater focus on risk reduction will help Sulmara minimise its environmental impact and strengthen its reputation as a sustainability leader.

“Through Sulmara’s commitment to the global effort to combat climate change, we aim to achieve net zero by 2050 by aligning Sulmara’s operations and goals with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). We will be setting specific global goals around carbon reduction and sustainability, and continually updating our current Carbon Neutrality Management Plan.

“I am excited to be part of a dynamic and fast-growing company which has a bright future in the green energy transition. Sustainability is a key part of the long-term success of a company.  It’s about changing the behaviours that have become ‘the norm’ practices in industry and prioritising environmental, social and governance elements into business strategies which will not only drive innovation and improve efficiencies but reduce the negative impacts on the planet.”