SLR has announced the acquisition of WAP Sustainability, strengthening its position in sustainability consulting, ESG data, and product-focused environmental solutions. The transaction brings together two firms with complementary capabilities as demand accelerates for credible, data-driven sustainability advisory services across global supply chains.

The acquisition reflects continued consolidation in the sustainability consulting market, where clients are seeking partners that can combine technical depth, digital tools, and strategic advisory support across complex regulatory and product landscapes.

Strengthening Product-Level Sustainability Expertise

Founded in 2009 by William Paddock and Brad McAllister, Nashville-based WAP Sustainability has built a reputation around product sustainability and lifecycle-based analysis. The firm supports companies across sectors including building products, packaging, textiles, electronics, and consumer goods, helping them translate sustainability goals into measurable outcomes.

WAP’s core services span life cycle assessment, environmental product declarations, carbon accounting, and ESG advisory. These capabilities sit at the intersection of regulatory compliance, customer disclosure demands, and product innovation, areas that are seeing rapid growth as sustainability requirements increasingly extend beyond corporate reporting into products, materials, and supply chains.

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Cultural Alignment and Growth Ambitions

William Paddock, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of WAP Sustainability, emphasized that the firm’s approach has always been rooted in trust, long-term relationships, and technical integrity. He said SLR’s shared values made it a strong partner to support growth without diluting WAP’s culture or way of working.

Paddock noted that joining SLR will give WAP access to broader teams, deeper resources, and global expertise, enabling the combined business to take on larger and more complex assignments while expanding into new markets.

Expanding Reach in High-Growth Sustainability Markets

SLR said the acquisition enhances its access to high-growth segments of the sustainability market, supported by WAP’s blue-chip client base and scalable service model. Product sustainability, lifecycle analysis, and data-backed ESG solutions are among the fastest-expanding areas of sustainability consulting, driven by tighter regulation, customer scrutiny, and the need for credible environmental claims.

By integrating WAP’s software, data, and advisory capabilities, SLR aims to strengthen its end-to-end offering, supporting clients from technical assessment through to strategic decision-making and disclosure.

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Positioning for a Changing Sustainability Landscape

Ben Shields, Executive Director of Advisory at SLR, said WAP’s mission aligns closely with SLR’s own focus on turning sustainability ambition into practical outcomes. He highlighted the shared emphasis on impact, data-driven insight, and long-term value for clients and communities.

The acquisition positions SLR to respond to a sustainability landscape that is becoming more regulated, more data-intensive, and more closely linked to products and value chains rather than standalone corporate commitments. As companies face growing pressure to substantiate environmental claims and demonstrate progress at the product level, advisory firms with combined technical, digital, and strategic capabilities are likely to play an increasingly central role.

With the addition of WAP Sustainability, SLR is signaling its intent to lead in this next phase of sustainability consulting, where credibility, scale, and execution capability are becoming decisive differentiators.

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