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The work to provide climate advisory support to Second Nature competition winners

Washington, DC, May 2026 — Brailsford & Dunlavey is pleased to announce that  the University of Minnesota and West Chester University  have each been awarded up to $30,000 worth of climate action advisory services from the firm’s Infrastructure, Energy & Sustainability practice group as part of Second Nature’s Solutions Center Consulting Initiative competition. 

Now in its sixth year, this competitive initiative provides selected higher education institutions with expert consulting support to accelerate their climate action efforts. In 2025, a total of six colleges and universities were awarded pro bono consulting services from three firms: Brailsford & Dunlavey, ERM Coho and Ever-Green Energy. 

B&D will work closely with the institutions to develop actionable strategies for decarbonizing their campuses and advancing their sustainability goals. The firm’s advisory support will focus on: 

• Climate Action Plan (CAP) Update: Updating institutional baseline greenhouse gas inventory, refining climate action strategies, analyzing the cost implications of the CAP vs. business-as-usual, and presenting the refreshed plan to campus leadership.  

• Scope 3 Deep Dive: A deep technical analysis of their scope 3 emission sources and/or mitigation programs.  

• Financial analysis of Business-as-usual (BAU) vs. Decarbonization: An analysis of the financial implications of pursuing a decarbonization or CAP based on a BAU scenario.  

Since the competition’s launch back in 2020, B&D has been a proud partner in the initiative, providing pro bono climate action consulting to each year’s selected institutions. Through this ongoing commitment, B&D has helped numerous campuses track their greenhouse gas emissions impact, develop actionable decarbonization strategies, and implement impactful initiatives that get them on track to achieving their carbon reduction goals.  

“Each year, supporting the winners of the Second Nature Pro Bono Consulting contest is an honor and a privilege,” said Jillian Buckholz, senior associate at Brailsford & Dunlavey. “Long-term decarbonization strategies require a thoughtful, strategic approach to planning and implementation. We look forward to collaborating with this year’s recipients to advance progress and catalyze impact with their institutions.” 

This initiative reflects B&D’s commitment to sustainability, resilience, and innovation in higher education. By offering in-kind consulting to institutions pursuing climate action, B&D helps campuses turn vision into implementation, ensuring that sustainability initiatives are both actionable and transformative.