AECOM Impact Blog: Aging and Resilience — The Biggest Challenges of our Time are Two Faces of the Same Coin
By: Gary Lawrence
AECOM Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer
Last month, the ratings service Standard & Poor’s issued a report citing climate change as one of the factors that will significantly impact a nation’s economy in the coming decades. Last year, the same report identified aging populations as a significant factor affecting a nation’s vulnerability.
A 2009 HelpAge report on elders’ attitudes to climate change revealed that almost all older people surveyed would rather stay in environmentally risky rural areas than migrate to a city. They fear becoming a burden to their families, losing the connection to their community, and being unable to work and contribute. All these factors are known to compromise health and well-being.
In my mind, climate change and aging populations are not separate issues. Cities and nations are only vulnerable because they are full of people. Among those people, one of the most vulnerable groups is the elderly.
Learn more from AECOM's chief sustainability officer as he discusses how climate change and aging populations are interrelated challenges.
Drawing from the experience of its approximately 45,000 employees, the AECOM Impact Blog provides the firm with an opportunity to share stories about employee excellence, industry insights, innovative project solutions, corporate social responsibility experiences, safety for life and sustainable perspectives. We hope you’ll join the conversation.
About AECOM
Ranked as the #1 engineering design firm by revenue in Engineering News-Record magazine’s annual industry rankings, AECOM is a premier, fully integrated infrastructure and support services firm, with a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government. With approximately 45,000 employees — including architects, engineers, designers, planners, scientists and management and construction services professionals — serving clients in more than 150 countries around the world, AECOM is a leader in all of the key markets that it serves. AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence in delivering solutions that create, enhance and sustain the world's built, natural and social environments. A Fortune 500 company, AECOM had revenue of $7.9 billion during the 12 months ended June 30, 2014. More information on AECOM and its services can be found at www.aecom.com.
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AECOM Technology Corporation
Ed Mayer, +1.732.564.3380
Director, Corporate Communications
Ed.Mayer@aecom.com
