SUSTAINABILITY
and if you want to operate here then you need to engage , then progress will be made ,” he adds .
CHEMISTRY Riley ’ s work with AECOM stretches beyond the public / transportation sector into private enterprises working in numerous industries . Though one of his primary areas is airports , manufacturing is another area of current excitement , in part because a particular project has reignited an interest in chemistry .
While we cannot divulge names or much specific detail , Riley does explain how the work came about . “ In the last year we worked for one of the world ’ s largest apparel , footwear , and outdoor brands – one of the brands that is actually leading on sustainability ,” Riley says . “ They came to us to look at chemistry , a topic that no-one is really talking about yet .”
AECOM examined the industry at a global level to determine the current state of management on chemistry , and how big a deal green chemistry is . Riley , who holds a degree in the science , along with his team , developed a corporate white paper for the client to use as a basis for setting a new corporate strategy .
OPTIMISM And it is businesses setting new sustainable strategies and forging ahead with new focuses that will ensure it remains effectively implemented on the ecological , social and financial fronts that Riley mentioned at the outset .
Riley is a sustainable optimist , despite the air of unease since President Trump won the US election last year . What impact , if any , will this have on organisations truly embracing sustainability ?
“ This is the million dollar question ,” Riley says . “ Nobody has an answer yet .
26 September 2017