17-04-2025
AECOM drives climate resilience and biodiversity action for Earth Day 2025
As Earth Day 2025 shines a global spotlight on the theme 'Our Power, Our Planet', infrastructure consultancy AECOM has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability, climate resilience and environmental stewardship in South Africa and across the globe.
'We harness the power of innovation, engineering and collaboration to develop solutions that protect ecosystems, reduce emissions and enhance climate resilience. Our work in renewable energy, biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation reflects a deep commitment to using our expertise to drive global sustainability,' comments Nicole Bates, Associate Environmental Scientist at AECOM.
Sustainable Legacies strategy
At the core of AECOM's approach is its Sustainable Legacies strategy, ensuring climate resilience is embedded across all projects. In South Africa and beyond, AECOM actively supports clients with climate risk assessments, integrating nature-based solutions into infrastructure and advancing decarbonisation strategies to reduce emissions. In addition, it focuses on social equity and resilience, ensuring that infrastructure development benefits communities most vulnerable to climate change.
'Through our Sustainable Legacies strategy, we take a holistic approach to evaluating the impact of our operations and client work on biodiversity. This comprehensive assessment extends far beyond carbon emissions, focusing on broader ecosystem health and long-term environmental sustainability,' says Bates.
AECOM is actively supporting biodiversity conservation and ecosystem protection through a range of comprehensive initiatives embedded in its projects and business strategy. At the core of this approach is a formalised biodiversity commitment, with a CEO-signed statement that aligns with the Global Biodiversity Framework and commits the consultancy to reversing nature loss by 2030.
Leading the clean energy transition
AECOM leads the clean energy transition by integrating solar, wind and other renewable energy solutions into projects worldwide. Its engineers apply cutting-edge design techniques to optimise energy efficiency and reduce carbon footprints. It also works closely with clients on grid modernisation, energy storage and smart city solutions, ensuring infrastructure can support a sustainable, low-carbon future.
An example is AECOM's work on a large project in Saudi Arabia, where it has shaped sustainability standards for a futuristic, net-zero city. It has also led coastal resilience projects that protect vulnerable shorelines from rising sea levels and extreme weather. In South Africa, AECOM has worked on infrastructure projects that integrate green building standards and enhance climate resilience through smart urban planning.
Climate resilience risk assessment
'Climate resilience is built into our risk assessments, project planning and engineering designs from the start. We incorporate flood protection, extreme weather adaptation and nature-based solutions into urban infrastructure to ensure long-term sustainability. Our data-driven approach helps cities and businesses anticipate and mitigate climate risks, safeguarding communities and assets against future climate-related disruptions,' explains Bates.
'We provide decarbonisation strategies, energy transition planning and carbon footprint assessments to help clients meet their ambitious net-zero targets,' she adds. AECOM's Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) advisory team works with organisations to develop low-carbon infrastructure, optimise energy efficiency and implement circular economy principles, ensuring a smooth and achievable path to net zero.
ESG advisory practice
AECOM's growing ESG advisory practice now includes specialists in nature-based solutions, ensuring that our projects incorporate sustainable, ecosystem-friendly designs. It goes beyond traditional project planning by embedding biodiversity and nature conservation considerations as fundamental elements rather than afterthoughts in urban development and infrastructure projects.
Now more than ever, social equity, community engagement and social value are at the heart of infrastructure projects, city planning, and urban regeneration. In many cases, they are the driving force behind decision-making. 'Resilience and adaptation should be priorities from the outset, not afterthoughts,' says Bates.
Local community support
Key priorities such as affordable housing, disaster preparedness, accessible healthcare and education and the preservation of green spaces require a comprehensive approach. By leveraging data, nature-based solutions and strong partnerships between governments and the private sector, AECOM aims to build long-term resilience and community support.
One of the biggest challenges in promoting sustainability is ensuring that projects align with the highest global standards while considering local environmental regulations and expectations. This can be especially complex when working in diverse regions with varying legal frameworks and environmental priorities. 'Ultimately, I believe that collaboration, both internally and with our clients, is key to overcoming these challenges and driving meaningful sustainability outcomes in the infrastructure sector.'
Codes and standards
AECOM addresses these challenges by integrating sustainability into every part of its process. It has developed codes and standards to ensure that every project, whether local or international, meets rigorous environmental sustainability benchmarks. This includes everything from setting up sustainability monitoring systems on the ground to establishing strong partnerships with clients and stakeholders, ensuring that the right environmental practices are followed at every stage of the project lifecycle.
'We make strategic investments that positively impact both communities and ecosystems, assisting in protecting natural habitats while simultaneously supporting sustainable development. We are committed to ensuring that our work complies with evolving biodiversity regulations and best practices, positioning our projects to meet and often exceed global conservation expectations,' says Bates.
Preserving biodiversity
By implementing these multifaceted efforts, AECOM is not only preserving biodiversity but is also fostering resilient ecosystems capable of thriving in the face of climate change and ongoing human development. Its approach demonstrates a deep commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable progress.
'We believe sustainability is a responsibility and an opportunity to shape a better future. By combining engineering excellence, digital innovation and deep environmental expertise, we are helping to build resilient, low-carbon and nature-positive solutions that will benefit generations to come. Sustainability is at the core of what we do. We are proud to work alongside our clients and partners to drive meaningful change worldwide,' concludes Bates.
About AECOM
AECOM is the global infrastructure leader, committed to delivering a better world. As a trusted professional services firm powered by deep technical abilities, we solve our clients' complex challenges in water, environment, energy, transportation and buildings. Our teams partner with public- and private-sector clients to create innovative, sustainable and resilient solutions throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm that had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2024. Learn more at
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