What FirstCarbon Solutions does

FirstCarbon Solutions (legal entity FCS International, Inc.), founded in 1983 and headquartered in Irvine, California, is a U.S. environmental consulting and compliance firm operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of ADEC Innovations, a Swiss-headquartered sustainable development conglomerate with approximately 4,000 employees across 24 countries. The firm delivers integrated consulting, software, and data management services across 14 core practice areas, including CEQA/NEPA compliance and streamlining, air quality and greenhouse gas management (using tools such as CalEEMod), biological and cultural resources management, noise management, entitlements and permitting, visual analysis via 3D modeling/animation, GIS & remote sensing, arboricultural services, ESG for Cities, sustainability solutions, and grant writing and management.

The company employs 160+ professionals across 30 states and maintains 10 staffed offices in California (Irvine, Walnut Creek, Alameda, Rocklin, Fresno, San Bernardino), Colorado (Highlands Ranch), Florida (Pensacola), and New York (Deposit and Conklin). It serves a horizontal mix of customers: California municipalities and public agencies (primary segment, with 134 on-call contracts across 100+ local agencies), developers across residential, commercial, hospitality, and mixed-use projects, telecommunications infrastructure operators, energy sector clients, tribal governments, and grant recipients (including EPA Thriving Communities Program support). Named enterprise customers include Outfront Media, Fitness International (LA Fitness), SteelWave, SVI Healdsburg, and the Cities of Fremont, West Hollywood, Colton, Santa Ana, Yorba Linda, and Walnut Creek.

FCS generates revenue through professional services fees on time-and-materials and project-based engagements, delivered primarily via multi-year on-call contracts with government agencies and direct project engagements with private developers and corporations. It earned ISO 27001 certification in July 2025 following the implementation of a comprehensive Information Security Management System. The company positions itself as a domain-specialized California regulatory advisor with growing national reach, leveraging 42+ years of operating history, deep CEQA/NEPA expertise, and an integrated service portfolio that supports projects from environmental review through construction compliance.

Name

FirstCarbon Solutions

Legal name

FCS International, Inc.

Website

https://firstcarbonsolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

FirstCarbon Solutions is a U.S. environmental consulting firm (founded 1983, Irvine, CA) that delivers CEQA/NEPA compliance, air quality/GHG, biological and cultural resources, and permitting services to California municipalities, developers, and enterprise clients via on-call contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Decarbonization Strategy & Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) Advisory (EUABAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Environmental Data, Monitoring, Remote Sensing & Early Warning (BPADALAN)

Keywords

• Environmental consulting services
• CEQA NEPA compliance
• Biological resources management
• Air quality assessments
• Sustainability consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Environmental Consulting Services: Professional services revenue generated through on-call contracts with government agencies and project-based engagements with private developers. Services include CEQA/NEPA compliance, biological and cultural resources management, air quality/GHG assessment, noise management, entitlements and permitting, and grant writing and management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FirstCarbon Solutions (FCS) is an environmental consulting firm that provides environmental compliance and sustainability services to government agencies, municipalities, developers, and private sector clients. The company delivers integrated consulting across CEQA/NEPA compliance, biological and cultural resources management, air quality and greenhouse gas (GHG) analysis, noise management, entitlements and permitting, visual analysis, GIS and remote sensing, grant writing and management, and arboricultural services. Services are delivered through on-call contracts with municipalities and direct project engagements with developers and corporations.

Product overview

FirstCarbon Solutions (FCS), an ADEC Innovation, is an environmental consulting and compliance services firm offering fully integrated consulting, software, and data management services. The company's portfolio consists of 14 core service offerings that function as both standalone consulting services and integrated solutions: CEQA/NEPA Compliance (environmental review and regulatory clearance), Air Quality/GHG Management (emissions analysis), Biological Resources Management (species surveys and habitat mitigation), Cultural Resources Management (archaeological and paleontological services), Noise Management, Program Management/Construction Monitoring, Entitlements/Permitting, Visual Analysis Services (3D modeling), Environmental/Regulatory Compliance, Sustainability Solutions, ESG for Cities, GIS & Remote Sensing, Grant Writing and Management Services, and Arboricultural Services. These services are delivered through interdisciplinary teams and provide end-to-end support for development projects from environmental review through construction compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CEQA/NEPA Compliance California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance and streamlining services providing environmental review, regulatory clearance, and legally defensible documentation for development projects. For government agencies and private developers.
• Air Quality/GHG Management Air quality and greenhouse gas emissions analysis, assessment, and management services for residential, commercial, industrial, and mixed-use projects. Uses technical modeling including CalEEMod for emissions estimation.
• Biological Resources Management Biological surveys, assessments, and mitigation services including special-status species surveys, habitat evaluations, and wetland delineations for development and infrastructure projects.
• Cultural Resources Management Cultural and paleontological resources management including archaeological surveys, historic preservation, and Native American tribal consultation services.
• Noise Management Noise analysis and management services for development projects to ensure regulatory compliance and community compatibility.
• Program Management / Construction Monitoring Program management and construction monitoring services including preconstruction surveys, Workers Environmental Awareness Program (WEAP) training, and daily monitoring for environmental compliance during construction.
• Entitlements, Permitting & Post-Entitlement Management Entitlements acquisition, regulatory permitting, and post-entitlement compliance management for development projects across California.
• Visual Analysis Services Visual impact analysis using 3D modeling and animation to assess project visibility and aesthetic impacts, including line-of-sight studies for transportation corridors and signage projects.
• Environmental Services / Regulatory Compliance General environmental services and regulatory compliance support across federal, state, and local environmental regulations for government and private clients.
• Sustainability Solutions and Services Sustainability consulting and solutions to help organizations achieve environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.
• ESG for Cities Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) services tailored for municipal clients, including sustainability planning and metric analysis.
• GIS & Remote Sensing Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing services for environmental analysis, mapping, and spatial data interpretation.
• Grant Writing and Management Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 134 on-call contracts with 100+ local agencies validated as pre-approved vendor
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ADEC InnovationscoreOthersFCS is a subsidiary of ADEC Innovations, a global leader in sustainable development solutions. ADEC Innovations provides FCS with global reach, software and data management capabilities, and a network of 4,000 employees across 24 countries. FCS operates as the environmental and sustainability consulting brand within the ADEC Innovations portfolio.
• Cameron-ColeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoth FCS and Cameron-Cole are ADEC Innovations companies that collaborate on environmental compliance projects. Cameron-Cole specializes in full-service environmental compliance, assessment, remediation, and greenhouse gas management. The companies partnered for PFAS expertise sharing at the AEP CA State Conference.
• Forkert Engineering & Surveying, Inc.minorOthersClient for whom FCS provided biological and cultural construction monitoring services for the AT&T SR-127 Fiber Optic Project between Baker and Fort Irwin, California.
• Outfront MediaminorOthersNational outdoor advertising company that engaged FCS for visual analysis services to analyze visibility of proposed digital sign along Highway 101 in Santa Clara using 3D modeling and animation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/firstcarbon
• Facebookfacebook.com/firstcarbon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/firstcarbon-solutions

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FirstCarbon Solutions