People Spotlight: Meet Christopher Williams
Our People Spotlight series gives you an inside look at our technical experts around the world. This week, we are highlighting a sustainability consultant from our Carbon & ESG team in the United Kingdom and providing an insight into their inspiration and work.
Christopher Williams joined AECOM in 2023 as a sustainability consultant based in our Bristol office. His work covers a range of climate change and circular economy related aspects for infrastructure projects and clients in various industry sectors. He works on projects including environmental impact assessments, carbon lifecycle assessments and climate change risk assessments. His interest in the interconnectedness between climate change and biodiversity makes him a key part of the carbon team for AECOM’s Natural Capital Laboratory.
What inspired you to join the industry?
I’ve always been passionate about the natural world, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve known that I wanted to work in the environmental sector. I also wanted a career where I could use my analytical skills, so I studied chemical engineering with the aim of getting into the broader environmental engineering field. My final year project at university focused on greenhouse gas calculations. This prepared me for a career in sustainability consulting, which I soon discovered was a fitting path for me to embark on.
I am interested in the relationship between the natural environment and the built environment, so this role at AECOM is a great fit for me. Here, I’m able to contribute towards sustainable development in the built environment, sometimes even on nationally significant infrastructure projects. I enjoy being in an industry where my day-to-day work can have a positive influence on the planet and its people.
I’ve always been passionate about the natural world, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve known that I wanted to work in the environmental sector. I enjoy being in an industry where my day-to-day work can have a positive influence on the planet and its people.”
What is your favorite AECOM project that you’ve worked on and why?
One of my favourite AECOM projects that I’ve worked on so far was a review of circular economy best practices in key industry sectors across the UK. This review was for a public sector client, with the aim of recommending how the client could promote circular economy in these industries. I had the opportunity to speak with stakeholders across industry and academia and hear first-hand their circular economy innovations, including the use of waste from the steel sector as a feedstock in the cement sector. This project was an exciting opportunity to share recommendations for how the client could further enable circular economy in these sectors, for example by regulatory changes. Circular economy is a key piece of the sustainability puzzle and has an important role to play in transitioning to a more sustainable society.
I had the opportunity to speak with stakeholders across industry and academia and hear first-hand their circular economy innovations, including the use of waste from the steel sector as a feedstock in the cement sector.”
Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.
Working in sustainability in the built environment, I believe my work has a positive impact on the natural environment and the communities that are linked to these projects. One project I worked on was a climate change hazard assessment for a dairy company based in Northern Ireland. This company has members and suppliers across the region. The assessment looked at climate change hazards including changing temperature, changing precipitation, and droughts. The assessment has been one of the first steps in helping the farmers and value chain members understand the specific climate change risks facing their business, for example livestock heat stress. This informs how they can adapt to climate change and protect their business and livelihood, such as adapting livestock housing to be more resilient to changing temperatures. Although climate change is a global phenomenon, its impacts can be seen on the community level. This project was an opportunity to communicate this in a way which was relevant to the stakeholders, empowering them to take positive action.
One project I worked on was a climate change hazard assessment for a dairy company based in Northern Ireland. The assessment has been one of the first steps in helping the farmers and value chain members understand the specific climate change risks facing their business, for example livestock heat stress. This informs how they can adapt to climate change and protect their business and livelihood.”
Share a piece of career advice.
My educational background helped equip me with problem solving skills which are key to the work that I do, but it was not a traditional environmental or sustainability degree. I have learned a lot of the technical skills I use in my day-to-day work on the job. Don’t be afraid to jump into opportunities that interest you, even if they are outside your comfort zone. The best way to learn new things is to get involved.