AECOM signs FIDIC Climate Change Charter

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AECOM, the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, has signed the FIDIC Climate Change Charter committing to practical steps towards internal decarbonisation.

AECOM, which delivers professional services throughout the project lifecycle from advisory, planning, design and engineering to programme and construction management, has strengthened its leading role in sustainable project delivery by publicly committing to the FIDIC Climate Change Charter. The charter sets out a series of commitments for how signatories will decarbonise both their operations and client projects.  

With 50,000 people across the world, AECOM partners with clients to solve some of the world’s most complex challenges and they hope this public commitment to internal practices that match their project ambitions will encourage others to do the same.

Robert Spencer, global lead, ESG Advisory at AECOM said: “It’s hugely important that we don’t work in isolation, which is why we’re aligning with the FIDIC climate charter in a climate leadership role. After all, impactful change can only be achieved through industry collaboration and inclusion to deliver at scale on the climate solutions that are urgently needed. We want all engineers and engineering firms to be empowered with the knowledge and skills to understand how and where they can make meaningful impact.”

The FIDIC climate change charter sets out commitments that companies, professionals and trade bodies around the world will take to ensure the infrastructure industry not only helps the world achieve its aims but transforms the infrastructure sector to a sustainable trajectory for the long term.

Practical steps include commitments to develop science-based approaches to decarbonising operations and supply chains, working with energy utilities through power purchase agreements to switch operational energy consumption to clean energy sources where available, and to report annually on greenhouse gas emissions.

Dr Nelson Ogunshakin OBE, chief executive of FIDIC, welcomed AECOM’s commitment, saying: “Climate change is an existential threat to nature, to the built environment and to the future direction of human civilisation. Those that design and build the world’s infrastructure will be more crucial than any other sector to shaping the world’s response and ending climate change while also tackling the consequences of it. So, we have to lead by example and we are proud to support AECOM Group in signing up to the FIDIC Climate change charter.”

Culture change vital to the industry

The infrastructure industry is undergoing rapid change, with extensive digitalisation, the energy transition and decarbonisation. This has big impacts on those working in every part of the industry.

Robert Spencer, explained: “The FIDIC Climate Change Charter is a meaningful set of guidance for engineers at all levels, providing a North Star – a guide for professional engineers on climate awareness and how they can embed action throughout their daily work, enabling them to become an agent of change, making low carbon, nature positive and resilient designs become standard practice.

“The FIDIC Climate Change Charter is about committing to these practical steps and ensuring all our people know they’re part of the solution. We have a collective responsibility as a sector and direct responsibility as a company and individuals to adapt how we all work to achieve a more sustainable and circular industry.”

Science-based measures that work

Decarbonisation has to be verifiable and measurable, which means a strong and tested approach to best practice is central to progress. To help support that, the climate charter includes commitments to a science-based approached to decarbonisation that AECOM supports.

Robert Spencer said: “As engineers we can bring our whole life knowledge of assets to accelerate action on climate change across the industry. We can do this by supporting our suppliers and partners to adopt a science-based approach to infrastructure decarbonisation.

“AECOM has led the way in establishing strong sustainable practices across its operations and this new commitment sends a message that we not only believe in a science-based approach to infrastructure decarbonisation, but to the running of our company and supporting our people with the ongoing transition as the tempo of pragmatic climate action picks up.”

To find out more and sign up to the FIDIC Climate Change Charter, either as an individual or organisation, visit climatechangecharter.world

Importance of practical climate charter

Value of of public commitment

Why AECOM signed the charter