Deep Dive with Ana Moreno
Our Deep Dive series features our technical experts who give you an inside look at how we are solving complex infrastructure challenges for our clients from across the world.
This week, we are highlighting Ana Moreno, a social impact assessment lead from our Environment business in Mexico. Ana shares how she and her team are evaluating and mitigating the social and environmental impacts of an oil and gas client and discusses the strategies recommended to introduce sustainable development for the local communities.
Ana is a social anthropologist with over 15 years of experience in social consulting in Mexico and Latin America, specializing in social and sustainable development. She is currently a candidate for a master’s degree in Sustainable Development. Additionally, she collaborates with the environmental team on due diligence and compliance evaluations with the Equator Principles, the International Finance Corporation, and the World Bank. She is also certified as a Social Audit in SA8000.
Tell us about a project that has been a major highlight of your career.
I’m currently completing a social impact assessment and managing social and sustainability actions for a client from the oil and gas industry. Through this project, we’re evaluating and mitigating the social and environmental impacts of the client’s operations. We’re also implementing social and sustainability actions to benefit local communities. These include job creation, support for education, and delivering projects that will boost the sustainable growth of the communities. My team and I are working closely with the communities and client to ensure that these positive impacts extend beyond the project’s life and into the future.
I’m currently completing a social impact assessment and managing and implementing social and sustainability actions for a client from the oil and gas industry, including job creation, support for education, and delivering projects that will boost the sustainable growth of the communities.”
What was a key challenge you faced while working on this project? How did you solve it?
Our client has previously completed environmental impact and risk assessments, but this was its first social impact assessment. Government regulations require remedial actions for both the environment and communities impacted by the oil and gas industry, so the challenge was to develop innovative solutions to real-life problems in the region.
The social impact assessment requires a deep understanding of what the communities need and want. We’ve used our understanding to direct and guide the client’s actions in sustainable investments in ways that align with the communities’ needs. We’ve reviewed and monitored the client’s suppliers, both from civil society and universities, to assess their capabilities in relation to the proposals derived from the social impact assessment.
Our biggest challenge has been identifying which investment actions are most appropriate for the community and most sustainable while aligning our strategy with our client’s corporate and ESG objectives. We’ve identified ESG projects geared towards environmental education, protection of biodiversity and productive development. To establish the framework for development of the project and to address direct and indirect effects, as well as cumulative impacts, we followed standards that our client holds in high regard. AECOM’s ESG and social value strategies, the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, and the European ESG investment criteria all informed our approach. By helping our client focus on the community’s needs and its assets and strengths, we were able to choose the best investments. For example, sustainable development of fisheries strengthens the competitiveness of fisheries’ areas. So far, they’ve planned to incorporate most of our recommendations, and we’re confident these projects will have a positive long-term impact.
Our biggest challenge has been identifying which investment actions are most appropriate for the community and most sustainable. By helping our client focus on the community’s needs and its assets and strengths, we were able to choose the best investments to develop innovative solutions to real-life problems in the region.”
How has this experience shaped your approach to future work?
The opportunity to work on such a relevant and significant project for the community and the environment has been truly rewarding for me. Collaboration with other experts and the strong commitment of the team I work with have been key. Throughout the life of the project, we’ve looked for opportunities to collaborate with other professionals and organizations, and always remained willing to learn and adapt as new challenges arise. Staying current on the latest trends and practices in the field has helped us to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions.
We’ve developed long-term social and sustainability management strategies that I will carry to all future projects. By transferring best practices and lessons learned, we can assist our clients in addressing similar challenges across different sectors of the industry, promoting a sustainable and responsible approach to managing their social and environmental impacts.”
We’ve developed long-term social and sustainability management strategies that I will carry to all future projects. By leveraging the knowledge gained from this project, we can develop tailored strategies and solutions that address the specific needs and concerns of clients within the same industry or outside of the oil and gas sector who are facing similar social and environmental remediation issues. Our approach to social and environmental management includes implementing programs and measures to mitigate the social and environmental impacts resulting from operations. These social investment programs contribute to community development and improvement of the local environment. By transferring best practices and lessons learned, we can assist our clients in addressing similar challenges across different sectors of the industry, promoting a sustainable and responsible approach to managing their social and environmental impacts.