AECOM sustainability chief awarded MBE

Multinational construction firm AECOM's sustainability director Ant Wilson has received an MBE in the 2017 New Year's Honours for his services to green building design and engineering.


Since starting his career with AECOM almost 40 years ago, AECOM’s director of sustainability and building engineering has remained at the forefront of efforts to reduce energy consumption and carbon usage in buildings for clients across the UK.

Wilson has worked on the development of the ‘Conservation of Fuel and Power’ building regulations since 1998 and the delivery of the 2002 Approved Documents, as well as subsequent versions for the relevant Government departments.

Commenting on his MBE, Wilson said: “I am honoured to receive an MBE. The recognition it brings raises the profile of engineering and will help me encourage more people to join the industry. Throughout my career I have had the privilege to work with so many brilliant people, both at AECOM and in the wider industry, who have mentored and encouraged me. I would like to thank all them for their support over the past 40 years.”

As part of his commitment to engineering and sustainability, Wilson regularly lectures at universities and visits schools to encourage young people to consider a career in engineering. He is also involved in a number of industry associations and institutions, and is a fellow at the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), and the Energy Institute and the Society of Façade Engineering.

AECOM chief executive UK and Ireland Patrick Flaherty said: “We are extremely proud of Ant’s achievement in the New Year’s Honours, which is recognition for his tireless contribution and commitment to the engineering profession.”

Sustainable construction

As an industry expert in the sustainable built environment, Wilson recently provided edie with insightful analysis on how the sector’s transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient model could be futher accelerated.

Speaking to edie last year, Wilson said that the implementation of efficient and sustainable building practices is being hindered by Government Ministers who are attempting to “promise the Earth” rather than incentivise the built environment. Wilson highlighted the Government’s U-turn on the zero-carbon homes policy as well as the “big flop” of the Green Deal as examples that the Government is failing to grasp what is considered ‘sustainable’ within the built environment.

Despite industry-wide concerns regarding the Government’s built environment-related green policy failures, Wilson’s company have pushed forward various initiatives in the past year which promote practices for sustainable building development. In August, AECOM struck up a new partnership with University of Salford that aims to improve understanding of how major infrastructure programmes interact with the environment.

The company also recently led a cross-sector group which released a report highlighting that a collective, industry-led approach to procurement in the development of major infrastructure projects across the UK would help achieve a circular economy in the construction sector.

As one of the partners of the Natural Capital Coalition, which offers businesses a standard framework to measure dependencies on natural assets, AECOM last year released a report which stated that UK firms are missing out on a £7bn windfall by ignoring the natural capital.

George Ogleby

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