News Release

• Achieve operational net-zero carbon emissions by the end of 2021 and science-based net-zero by 2030
• Introduce ScopeX^TM to reduce carbon through design on all major projects

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 26, 2021-- AECOM (NYSE: ACM), the world’s premier infrastructure consulting firm, today announced the launch of Sustainable Legacies, its strategy for reaching ambitious environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives. This strategy integrates four key pillars that will embed sustainable development and resilience across the company’s work, improve social outcomes for communities, achieve net-zero carbon emissions and enhance governance.

“As leaders of our industry, we have a responsibility to embed ESG principles into everything we do and partner with our clients and communities to advise on their efforts to advance complex, multi-decade sustainability initiatives,” said Troy Rudd, AECOM’s chief executive officer. “With nearly 50,000 talented engineers, scientists, architects, consultants, program and construction managers, along with our Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Team, we are energized by the impact of our work and how we can contribute positively to society and the planet. We believe infrastructure creates opportunities for everyone, and directly integrating ESG principles with our technical excellence and capabilities puts us in the best position to deliver sustainable legacies for a better world.”

“Our clients have new, evolving priorities focused on sustainability and delivering social impact through their projects and services, and AECOM stands out as the company that can best advise and execute for them,” said Lara Poloni, AECOM’s president. “By developing our strategy with a focus on advancing our ESG objectives and supported by the strength of our technical excellence, global collaboration and local engagement, we will continue to drive innovation in our industry while leaving long-lasting impacts on the communities we serve and the planet as a whole.”

Key Pillars of AECOM’s Sustainable Legacies Strategy

• Achieve net-zero carbon emissions: While developing and implementing best practices and achievable goals for its clients, AECOM has furthered its own carbon emissions goals by ensuring that the company will be operationally net-zero by the end of 2021. It has also committed to reach science-based net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 through the following actions:
  • Setting new 1.5°C-aligned emissions reduction targets.
  • Decarbonizing fleet vehicles and switching to renewable energy tariffs.
  • Partnering with its suppliers to decarbonize and including carbon considerations into its procurement processes.
  • Implementing a 50% reduction in business travel.
  • Creating projects centered around using nature-based solutions to offset residual carbon.
• Embed sustainable development and resilience across our work: AECOM has introduced ScopeX^TM, a first-of-its-kind initiative to reduce carbon through design that considers embodied and operational carbon across the entire project life cycle. The company will further incorporate ESG action plans on all major projects to reduce carbon impact by at least 50 percent. It will also embed net-zero, resilience and social value targets into its client account management program.
• Improve social outcomes: AECOM believes equity, diversity and inclusion enable better outcomes for clients, a deeper understanding of community challenges and more innovative solutions that propel the industry forward. As part of this pledge, AECOM has set an industry-leading, near-term target of women comprising at least 20% of senior leadership roles and at least 35% of the overall workforce. Its efforts extend to include developing project teams that reflect the clients and communities it serves and partnering with small and medium enterprises to generate social value through positive community investments. Additionally, the company is focused on delivering inclusive, accessible projects that proactively improve social value outcomes for individuals, communities and society.
• Enhance governance: To better assess ESG risk factors in potential projects, AECOM is developing and deploying an enterprise framework supported by leadership accountability and advocacy through the audit of specific ESG targets and metrics on an annual basis. In addition to regular reporting to the Board of Directors on ESG matters, as part of the recently expanded charter of the Board’s Safety, Risk and Sustainability committee that includes direct oversight of ESG activities, the company will track and report on its ESG performance targets externally in line with leading industry benchmarks.

Reflecting AECOM’s commitment to advancing its ESG initiatives, in the fiscal second quarter the company executed an amendment to its existing senior secured credit facilities that includes incentives linked to achieving certain sustainability, and diversity and inclusion goals.

For more information on how AECOM is delivering Sustainable Legacies, please visit www.aecom.com/sustainable-legacies.

About AECOM

AECOM (NYSE: ACM) is the world’s premier infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical expertise and innovation, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $13.2 billion in fiscal year 2020. See how we deliver what others can only imagine at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this communication other than statements of historical fact are “forward-looking statements” for purposes of federal and state securities laws, including any statements of the plans, strategies and objectives for future operations, profitability, strategic value creation, coronavirus impacts, risk profile and investment strategies, and any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance, and the expected financial and operational results of AECOM. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results could differ materially from those projected or assumed in any of our forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results, performance and achievements, or industry results to differ materially from estimates or projections contained in our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following: our business is cyclical and vulnerable to economic downturns and client spending reductions; impacts caused by the coronavirus and the related economic instability and market volatility, including the reaction of governments to the coronavirus, including any prolonged period of travel, commercial or other similar restrictions, the delay in commencement, or temporary or permanent halting of construction, infrastructure or other projects, requirements that we remove our employees or personnel from the field for their protection, and delays or reductions in planned initiatives by our governmental or commercial clients or potential clients; losses under fixed-price contracts; limited control over operations run through our joint venture entities; liability for misconduct by our employees or consultants; failure to comply with laws or regulations applicable to our business; maintaining adequate surety and financial capacity; high leverage and potential inability to service our debt and guarantees; exposure to Brexit; exposure to political and economic risks in different countries; currency exchange rate fluctuations; retaining and recruiting key technical and management personnel; legal claims; inadequate insurance coverage; environmental law compliance and adequate nuclear indemnification; unexpected adjustments and cancellations related to our backlog; partners and third parties who may fail to satisfy their legal obligations; AECOM Capital real estate development projects; managing pension cost; cybersecurity issues, IT outages and data privacy; risks associated with the benefits and costs of the Power transaction and other recent acquisitions and divestitures, including the risk that the expected benefits of such transactions or any contingent purchase price will not be realized within the expected time frame, in full or at all; the risk that costs of restructuring transactions and other costs incurred in connection with recent acquisitions and divestitures will exceed our estimates or otherwise adversely affect our business or operations; as well as other additional risks and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements set forth in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof. We do not intend, and undertake no obligation, to update any forward-looking statement.

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Media Contact:
Brendan Ranson-Walsh
Vice President, Global External Communications
1.213.996.2367
Brendan.Ranson-Walsh@aecom.com

Investor Contact:
Will Gabrielski
Senior Vice President, Investor Relations
1.213.593.8208
William.Gabrielski@aecom.com

Source: AECOM