“The IPCC report calls for more urgent action than previously considered to increase the resilience of our built environment. To meet this urgency, there needs to be widespread collaboration on a global-basis across public and private sectors.

“In the infrastructure sector, we have the evidence and knowledge to keep infrastructure working and resilient in the face of extreme weather conditions such as flooding, drought and extreme heat. Billions of people are dependent on us for continuity of resources such as water and power.

“At AECOM we are already working with authorities and organizations worldwide to achieve this resilience, such as our work with southern California’s Metrolink where we assessed the climate vulnerability of its infrastructure and developed strategies to reduce risk. Social equity and reducing risk to transit dependent vulnerable communities is at the heart of these solutions.

“The report also rightly highlights the benefits of nature-based solutions, such as the way treescapes can help protect our cities from extreme heat – by working with nature we can offset risks to our infrastructure.

“Through science based solutions which have community involvement and support, we make these solutions more attractive to investors and help bring in much needed finance to address the adaptation gap.

“As well as developing solutions, as a business we must lead by example. AECOM has signed up to science-based targets, which are independently validated and assessed, and we urge others to do the same. AECOM has also launched an ambitious ESG strategy called Sustainable Legacies, which includes a commitment to identify and mitigate any risks that may work against us achieving our sustainability goals.”

Robert Spencer – AECOM’s Global Practice Leader, ESG