Other financial risks

Our liabilities are defined within each contract. Most of these will fall within our standard conditions for what we consider acceptable risk. If conditions are not met, additional approvals are required. Legal counsel reviews and provides recommendations to limit liability when possible. In addition, we are covered to a significant level by professional indemnity insurances.

Two main controls help ensure sufficient funding is available for our operations: control over our working capital (mainly work in progress positions and debtors) and securing our bank facilities. Before submitting a proposal, we assess the client’s ability to settle our invoices over the duration of the project and monitor our credit risk continuously during project execution. In addition, for each proposal, a cash flow forecast must be prepared, and we aim to negotiate a positive cumulative cash position during the project. We have agreed guarantee facilities with our banks where loan covenants are applicable. Our Corporate Treasury monitors that these are met.

Fluctuations in commonly traded currencies like USD and GBP and in less-traded currencies represent a risk on part of our turnover. Our treasury policy aims to cover the currency risk as much as possible during execution of projects. Corporate Treasury monitors and advises on foreign currency exposures and the use of hedge instruments.

A few clients require us to issue corporate guarantees for the execution of a project. It is our policy to limit the issue of these guarantees. For this reason, we manage our balance sheets to ensure solvency of our companies is enough to operate independently in the market. Royal HaskoningDHV has stringent procedures to review and approve bank guarantees and bonds (like advance payment guarantees and performance bonds) before they are issued.

In principle, Royal HaskoningDHV operates pension plans under defined contribution pension schemes. However, at HaskoningDHV UK Limited there is a closed defined benefit scheme. This scheme was closed for new entries and future accruals in 2005. The closed defined benefit members became deferred members. The Group does not and will not provide any guarantees to the United Kingdom defined benefit pension scheme. The responsibility lies with the Royal HaskoningDHV entity in the United Kingdom. The defined benefit scheme deficit under Dutch GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) on December 31, 2023 is €8.7 million (2022: €8.2 million) with an associated deferred tax asset of €2.2 million (2022: €2.1 million).