Our Progress on Sustainable Legacies: Q&A with President Lara Poloni

We pride ourselves on delivering industry-leading innovation. Transforming How We Work is one of the key tenants of our Think and Act Globally strategy because technology drives our competitive advantage and our ability to provide better outcomes for clients. We see tremendous potential in leveraging AI to innovate on client delivery and produce more sustainable infrastructure.

We’ve already begun to integrate AI into our work through the SMI Nature Risk Tool, a first-of-its-kind offering that can assess the impact of new infrastructure developments on biodiversity and nature. The tool coalesces complex academic, environmental, and geographic data on a project’s location, allowing clients to evaluate and manage environmental risks. Not only does it enhance the positive impact we have on our communities, but it cuts the length of time for risk assessments from weeks to hours, helping clients make actionable decisions faster than ever.

In other areas of the business, we’re investing in unique pathways to accelerate digital adoption and amplify our impact. This is particularly apparent in our Digital Consulting services through which we help our clients address their biggest operational challenges via technology and innovation. One example in which we made a big impact this year was our engagement with the United States’ National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), building a digital twin for NREL’s Intelligent Campuses, which among other successes, helped the organization improve operational performance and derisk its net zero investments.

Our talent is our greatest asset. AECOM would not be the leading global infrastructure partner nor be able to deliver on our Sustainable Legacies commitments without outstanding professionals that our clients can trust and rely on to bring the best solutions in sustainable infrastructure. To attract and keep that talent, we need to create an environment in which everyone feels like they are heard, respected, and growing into the best professional they can be. That’s the impetus behind “Welcoming Workplace” and why we put so much time and energy into our working environment.

A crucial part of “Welcoming Workplace” is employee development—providing opportunities for everyone to reach their full potential and build meaningful, rewarding careers. We offer award-winning talent development programs and mentorship opportunities through our Leadership at All Levels programming which includes six official development courses spanning every level of our organization. Our TechEx Academies provide self-guided technical learning opportunities, supported by the Technical Practice Networks that our employees use to network, exchange ideas, and so much more.

Ultimately, maintaining the best talent in the industry—and supporting an environment in which everyone can be at their best—drives innovative thinking, new ways of working sustainably, and better outcomes for our clients. It’s a key reason why we were named to Fortune’s Most Admired Companies’ list for the 11th year and as TIME’s Best Companies for Future Leaders this past year.

There’s a lot of change and uncertainty within the current sustainability landscape as policy priorities and global economics change, increasing the complexity of sustainability initiatives. Importantly, AECOM is a company that thrives on change. We see significant opportunities to advise clients through these changes, as well as opportunities to support on sustainability megatrends that will persist despite short-term uncertainty.

Changing weather patterns will make natural disasters an increasing commonality, leading us to continue to prioritize our Sustainability Advisory Services—particularly our infrastructure resilience and disaster preparedness expertise. We’ve already seen strong growth in this area of our business, and we believe advisory services such as these will only prove more valuable as changing regulations and disasters themselves become more challenging to navigate.

Managing hazardous chemicals is also a major environmental priority, both at the local and federal levels. For instance, PFAS chemicals don’t easily break down in the environment and often build up in water supplies across the world, posing serious long-term health risks to many communities. With decades of experience supporting clients in PFAS solutions, AECOM has the broadest set of technical capabilities and expertise in the industry. Just this past year, the EPA outlined a plan to address PFAS contamination, and as a leader in environmental remediation, we’re fully prepared to be the partner of choice in those efforts.

Finally, water resilience in general will continue to be a huge focus area in many countries, as access to clean, fresh water continues to be a challenge for many communities. Water is one of our fastest-growing end markets, and we launched the Water & Environment Advisory global business line to specifically meet that demand and make a bigger impact. With substantial investments in this business area, we have the best experts ready to meet that challenge.