Environmental Due Diligence services for real estate and active or decommissioned sites
The term Due Diligence indicates a specific investigative practice to be followed in the case of property acquisitions and production sites. Its translation in Italian indicates that each case should be treated "with the right diligence". For this reason, our team of professionals offers solid support during acquisition operations, granting the use of industrial areas, and company mergers.
The objective of Due Diligence is to identify any potential conditions of risk or critical issues related to environmental impacts present in a specific site.
Why use Environmental Due Diligence (EDD)
Thanks to the Environmental Due Diligence service, it is possible to become aware of elements that can result in potential liabilities for both those who own a property and for the investor interested in acquiring an area, a property or an entire business complex.
Typically, Environmental Due Diligence is carried out on industrial areas or real estate assets and allows, through checks of the historical documentation related to the site and "field checks" (surveys, chemical analysis and direct investigations), the identification of any non-conformities, thus being able to quantify greater environmental costs.
Conducted in any context (industrial sites and facilities or parts thereof, individual plants, land or residential buildings), EDD allows for a precise verification of both documentary and authorization aspects, as well as plant and management aspects, thus eliminating the possibility of encountering any environmental liabilities following the economic investment operation.
If these aspects were neglected or underestimated, unforeseen economic losses could occur.
The scope of application of DDA
Abandoned sites
Historical reconstruction of the activities carried out on the site to identify potential sources of pollution or environmental contamination. This involves the analysis of documents, interviews with former owners or site managers, and in-depth research to understand the nature and extent of environmental risks present. The goal is to assess the suitability of the site for future activities or remediation interventions.
Active sites
Assessment of current environmental management practices. This includes the review of operational procedures, analysis of company environmental policies, assessment of regulatory compliance, and identification of areas where environmental management can be improved to prevent or mitigate future pollution.
The phases of the intervention protocol
1. Retrieval of the necessary information to define the environmental and urban planning framework of the site
During this phase, all available information related to the site under examination is collected.
This information may include urban planning documents, regulatory plans, cadastral maps, historical data, socio-economic data, and any other information useful for understanding the current urban and environmental context of the site.
2. Analysis and verification of the environmental aspects involved
3. Environmental investigations of significant environmental matrices for the site
Based on the type of site and in light of the evidence emerging from the previous phases, specific Environmental Investigations are planned.
For example: chemical, geological and hydrogeological investigations related to soils and groundwater, war checks, radon investigations, asbestos presence verification, etc.
4. Identification of any environmental liabilities
5. Final report to the client
A comprehensive report is drawn up and delivered to the client with indications on both the documentary and authorization aspects, as well as on the plant and management aspects.
The Environmental Due Diligence is essential as a preliminary phase before undertaking real estate or corporate transactions. This process aims to prevent any unexpected liability from being attributed to the acquiring party.
The investigations carried out during this phase will provide significant support for future decisions and will enable obtaining a comprehensive view of the current site condition, thus facilitating effective management.