2024 Environmental Business Journal and Climate Change Business Journal Awards
Environmental Business International, Inc. and its awards selection committee recently announced winners of the 2024 Business Achievement Awards spanning the environmental and climate change industries. Entries in various categories are submitted to the award programs representing two separate publications: the Environmental Business Journal (EBJ) and the Climate Change Business Journal (CCBJ). Read more about the winning projects submitted by AECOM and on behalf of our clients below and in greater detail at EBJ and CCBJ.
Climate Change Business Journal Awards
Greater Toronto Airport Sustainable Design and Construction Guideline
Won by: AECOM’s client, Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA)
Award: Advancing Best Practices: Sustainable Airports
The GTAA manages and operates Toronto Pearson International Airport, North America’s second largest in terms of international traffic. The GTAA is launching significant investments in their facilities and terminals, aimed at transforming Pearson into one of the most advanced, sustainable and passenger-friendly airports in the world. Aligning to their environmental master plan goals, the GTAA and AECOM developed a Sustainable Design and Construction Guideline, a framework incorporating leading sustainable design practices into their facilities program. The guidelines include LEED sustainability certification, Envision, and the Canada Green Building Council Net-Zero Design Standards, while addressing critical areas such as circular design and construction, climate resiliency, sustainable transportation, water management, energy efficiency, carbon emissions/air quality, materials, resources, zero-waste strategies, and construction logistics.
Building Climate Resiliency into the Colorado River Basin: Water Operations and Management Compliance
Won by: AECOM
Award: Project Merit: Colorado River
Covering 250,000 square miles, the Colorado River provides water to 40Mpeople (including 30 tribes) and 5.5M acres of agriculture, while supporting hydroelectric renewable power, recreation, and rich ecological communities. Prolonged drought is stressing this lifeline and causing aridification. To provide long-term resiliency, AECOM is working with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in developing revised dam operations and providing all required environmental compliance. Given the multi-decade planning horizon and significant unknowns around future flows and demands, AECOM is applying a first-of-its-kind approach within the Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty framework to assess the impacts of different operational alternatives. AECOM is facilitating a comprehensive stakeholder engagement process and addressing compliance for over 10 listed species under the Endangered Species Act.
The Natural and Nature-Based Solution Job Aids
Won by: AECOM
Award: Advancing Best Practices: Nature-Based Solution
Developed in collaboration with FEMA and not-for-profit organizations, these resources empower local communities, planners, and engineers to integrate nature-based solutions into infrastructure and hazard mitigation projects.
Addressing rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and intensified storm events exacerbated by climate change, the three job aids — shoreline and dune stabilization and restoration, bank stabilization, and stormwater management — offer practical guidance for designing projects that harness natural systems such as wetlands, mangroves, and vegetative buffers. These solutions reduce risks, improve water quality, and enhance biodiversity while promoting sustainability.
Tailored to Puerto Rico’s unique geography and ecological challenges, the job aids bridge the gap between science and actionable strategies.
City of Guelph Drought Response Operational Plan
Won by: AECOM’s client, City of Guelph
Award: Advancing Best Practices: Drought Response Planning
The City of Guelph is one of the largest groundwater-based cities in Canada. Groundwater can be slow to replenish and with Provincial population growth pressures, a long-term plan was required to manage the impacts of drought. The City’s goal was a plan to minimize economic and ecological losses, while meeting the requirements of its customers and maintaining human health. The plan was developed using statistical and modeling analysis informed by the City’s extensive groundwater monitoring dataset. These tools provide a robust and multi-layered approach to sustainably managing the resource and maintaining essential water distribution to the community. The Drought Response Operational Plan identifies thresholds for increasing levels of drought severity and actions for the City to take at each level.
Environmental Business Journal Awards
Circular Approach to Algae Improves Water Quality
Won by: AECOM
Award: Environmental Business Journal, Industry Leadership
Excess nutrients entering surface waters lead to uncontrolled algae growth and hypoxia, creating marine life “dead zones”. The Gulf of Mexico’s 6,500-square-mile dead zone poses risks to aquatic life and human health, such as Florida’s Red Tide event from 2017-2019, which caused $1 billion in losses. Agricultural stormwater runoff, rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, is a major contributor. The EPA is addressing this through initiatives like the NWFWMD Algae Harvesting Project which tested AECOM’s patented Hydronucleation Floatation Technology (HFT) to reduce nutrient discharge and improve agricultural sustainability. The successful NWFWMD demonstration in Florida showed algae harvesting significantly reduces nutrient levels, improves water quality, and that harvested algae can replace up to 50 percent of synthetic fertilizers.
Next steps focus on scaling this technology to assess its effectiveness across diverse regions and crops.
Strategic Growth for Permitting Capabilities Creates Win-Win Merger
Won by: AECOM
Award: Environmental Business Journal, Mergers and Acquisitions
AECOM’s acquisition of EMPSi marked a significant milestone, exemplifying AECOM’s commitment to expanding our environmental consulting capabilities and underscores our dedication to delivering sustainable legacies.
EMPSi is a premier industry leader in federal land/water management, delivering complex NEPA projects in Western U.S. The combination expanded AECOM’s NEPA practice and federal client base, bringing more than 50 professionals to our growing business. For EMPSi, this provides new employee career opportunities, additional client capabilities, and continued growth. Both EMPSi founders have stayed with AECOM and are playing pivotal leadership roles. AECOM provided ongoing career paths for all employees, and net headcount has increased by 30 percent. We are positioned to continue expanding our value proposition to a broader set of clients, providing robust long-term career opportunities for employees.
California Wildlife Crossing Safeguards Animals and Motorists
Won by: AECOM’s client, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Award: Environmental Business Journal, Project Merit
California State Route 17 (SR 17) fragments over 30,000 acres of open space in the Santa Cruz Mountains, limiting wildlife habitat connectivity and preventing the completion of several major trail systems. The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen), in cooperation with Caltrans and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, will construct a wildlife undercrossing and multi-use trail overcrossing of SR 17 near Lexington Reservoir. This project will improve wildlife passage, increase motorist safety, improve wildlife habitat connectivity, and connect over 50 miles of regional trails and public open spaces.
Midpen is also working on a potential Mitigation Credit Agreement that could generate credits for wildlife connectivity and species such as mountain lion, potentially the first of its kind in California.
Community Engagement Drives Mine Remediation Project
Won by: AECOM’s client, Government of Canada
Award: Environmental Business Journal Project Merit
Giant Mine is located on Chief Drygeese Territory, the traditional land of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, within the Mǫwhì Gogha Dè Nı̨ı̨tłèè Nîîtåèè boundary, on the traditional homelands of the North Slave Métis Alliance in Northwest Territories, Canada.
The project is one of the most expensive federal environmental cleanups in Canada. Comprised of 2,300 acres, eight open pits, tailings ponds, derelict buildings, and contaminated primarily with arsenic, petroleum hydrocarbons, asbestos and lead.
In 2009, AECOM and WSP embarked on extensive remediation including tailings rehabilitation, contaminated soil management, evaluation of borrow sources, mine water treatment, surface water management, underground stability, highway re-alignment, demolition/debris removal, open pit closure, and closure of mine openings. The team’s freeze design will contain the arsenic trioxide underground.
Innovative Technology Streamlining Environmental Planning and Permitting
Won by: EarthSoft and AECOM
Award: Environmental Business Journal, Information Technology
In 2024, EarthSoft, Inc. launched EQuIS PlanEngage and EQuIS Helios, advancing environmental and geotechnical data management software offerings to the market. These tools unify data sources and enhance project management, aiding in understanding complex data. Helios, a knowledge management portal, leverages Microsoft Azure AI for natural language search and machine learning, centralizing unstructured data and reducing costs. It features OCR, advanced search, and enhanced security for data confidentiality and integrity.
EQuIS PlanEngage, developed with AECOM, is a storytelling platform that visualizes environmental data using dynamic GIS and interactive tools. It facilitates decision-making by regulatory agencies and promotes public health and safety. These tools empower organizations with a holistic, efficient, and secure approach to data management.
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