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The environmental analyst met Frank Sweet, Global Business Line Chief Executive for Environment at AECOM – the world’s leading environmental consultancy – before his keynote presentation at our Global Business Summit in June

EA: The world today is certainly a different place than it was in 2019. How do you think society and the business environment have changed during this time?

FS: The contrast is so remarkable that it is difficult to know where to start. As a country, we’ve seen major political changes. The political pendulum will swing over time, but it seems that the center has shifted. Perhaps more significant, but less obvious, is the four-fold increase in direct investment in ESG stocks. Boardrooms around the world are paying close attention to investor demands for change.

EA: Go back a little … How do you think the approaches and perceptions of environmental protection and sustainable development have developed in the (almost) three decades that you have been with AECOM? What is different today

FS: I have spent most of my career in environmental consulting and have always believed that everything we do contributes to environmental protection, sustainability and social benefit. For me, redevelopment was recycling land with impairments. Thirty years ago, climate change was a side talk. today it is in the front and in the middle.

EA: Do you think the events of the past 18 months have helped put sustainable principles at the center of your customers’ thinking?

FS: There’s no doubt that even our most traditional customers see the direction that the world’s societies, policymakers, and investors are headed.

EA: It was great to see the publication of AECOM’s Sustainable Legacies initiative – what do you think this means for your employees and for the projects you support?

FS: Our employees have responded positively to our public engagement for our comprehensive Sustainable Legacy Initiative. It’s a big deal, not just our plan to hit net zero, but our promise will help our customers get there while also ensuring that every project we undertake brings environmental and social benefits.

EA: As our motto for the summit – “From crisis to opportunity: the decisive decade“- suggests we certainly believe that the next nine years will be critical to the transition to a more sustainable, inclusive and prosperous society. Where do you see the great opportunities for environmental and sustainability advisors to make a difference?

FS: This decade may just be the renaissance of environmental advice. It is clear that our customers will need a tremendous amount of help to make the transition to renewable and low carbon energy and to embed sustainable and socially beneficial elements into everything they do.

EA: What challenges is this sector facing in providing high quality environmental and sustainability advisory services to customers and stakeholders in need of assistance?

FS: It also seems clear that there is and will be a great shortage of practitioners in this sector. We will discuss this and the simple math behind this conclusion during our summit.

Hear more from Frank at the Global Summit

Hear more from Frank Sweet at Global Environment Summit 2021 – From Crisis to Opportunity: The Decisive Decade On June 8th, Frank will give the keynote in which he will outline the development of the market in recent years and examine important topics such as effective resource management, the rise in ecological and social justice and the increasing urgency of the market to protect the environment.

Check out the event program and speaker details Here.