AECOM builds nature-based solutions capacity
The nature positive revolution is moving at pace. Latest to jump aboard this newest green bandwagon that promises a load of disruption and new thinking – such as measuring embodied water – is AECOM. The company will establish a nature-based solutions team for Australia and New Zealand, the national Brisbane-based engineering consulting firm announced.
The team will develop nature-based solutions to address problems related to climate change, biodiversity loss and emissions reduction.
The firm claims expertise in climate resilience, ecology, natural capital accounting, water-sensitive urban design and landscape architecture among 200 professionals across the region. It defines nature-based solutions as actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural and modified ecosystems that address societal challenges adaptively for the dual benefit of people and nature.
Cathy Crawley, nature-based solutions lead for ANZ, will lead the newly formed team. She brings more than 30 years of experience spanning environment, sustainability and climate resilience consulting. AECOM’s nature-based service offering will include integrating these solutions into the design and building of infrastructure projects, helping clients participate in the nature markets framework, natural capital accounting, natural solutions for resilience and disaster risk reduction, ecological restoration, ESG corporate advisory services to help clients respond to the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures.
Property Council names NSW executive director
The Property Council of Australia has appointed Katie Stevenson as its New South Wales executive director. She joins the industry body after serving as chief of staff to Rob Stokes MP, the former NSW planning minister for five years, which is a good place to come from if you’re dealing in a lot of development issues and hopefully a good sign for this umbrella group to spread a more sustainability based approach to the parts of the industry that are still unreconstructed.
Previously Stevenson was an urban designer with the Department of Planning and prior to that she was an urban designer at Cititek in Copenhagen and a planner at Leichhardt, Burwood and Sutherland Shire Councils. She will begin in the executive director role on 26 June.
The Property Council last week relocated from its historic office premises on Barrack St, Sydney to 50 Carrington St, located behind Wynyard Station.
WT appoints new chief operating officer
Quantity surveyor WT hase named Heidi Mitchell as chief operating officer. She will have oversite of WT’s senior leadership team, and the business development, marketing and people and culture teams.
Based in Melbourne, Mitchell will establish and implement a corporate strategy to grow WT’s national construction cost management and advisory practices.
Mitchell was previously with Citywide Service Solutions for the past seven years serving in a variety of executive roles. A lawyer by training, she previously worked as legal counsel for Shell/Viva Energy for 14 years and with Blake Dawson Waldron for four years. One question we need to ask when we catch up with the company is if it too is incorporating embodied carbon measurement and now embodied water into its suite of offerings, as are other QSs.
GHDWoodhead appoints health architecture expert
GHDWoodhead will expand its healthcare facilities practice following the appointment of specialist architect Colin Rofe.
A nurse by training, Rofe has worked on healthcare architecture projects across Australia, China and India and will now spearhead a new team of health architects in Victoria.
Rofe previously worked with the High Value High Risk project initiation team at the Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority where he oversaw the planning, engineering, architecture and risk management aspects of major health projects.
Rofe’s experience as an architect includes two years with Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust and nine years with Peddle Thorp in Australia, China and India.
Moir Group launches new ESG division
Financial recruiter Moir Group has launched a new ESG recruitment business and has hired Lisa Tracy to oversee it.
The financial sector is increasingly in need of professionals capable of analysing complex environment, social and governance issues in corporate settings and the demand for candidates with ESG talent is growing.
Prior to joining Moir Group, Tracy ran a leadership and sustainability coaching business called Turning Green for 15 years and was a lecturer in responsible business and an MBA coach at the University of Sydney. She also had a stint with the World Wildlife Fund leading their Climate Solutions Partnership, a collaboration with HSBC and the World Resources Institute.