The energy-water-food nexus is the "defining challenge of our time", technical and management support services firm AECOM has claimed in its second annual global sustainability report.

The report, entitled, “Complex Problems. Integrated Solutions.” says that this is an area where its integrated approach to analysis and problem solving is critical to sustaining economically viable cities and ensuring an adequate supply of power, water, food security and carbon reduction for a growing population.

As part of its work in this area, the firm has developed a city-wide reduction assessment tool for the City of Ventura, California that allows combinations of various systems to be tested for the lowest cost pathway as well as city-wide carbon reduction targets. Other projects the firm has worked on include the development of an integrated design process for the Sydney Park Stormwater Harvesting Project in Australia to improve water quality and provide flood mitigation for the city’s residents.

AECOM is also working on the North West Cambridge water recycling project -  the largest stormwater runoff recycling in the U.K. The firm has provided masterplanning, landscape design, sustainability and planning services over the last 10 years for the University of Cambridge’s new development, whichincludes 3,000 new homes, 2,000 student beds, research facilities and retail and commercial areas. The homes on the site are aiming to meet the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 5, requiring a reduction in potable water use to 80 liters per person, per day. Ultimately, this concept has never beenachieved on a large scale before in the U.K.

In 2012 AECOM became a signatory and participant in the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate responsibility initiative, with more than 8,000 business and non-business participants in 135 countries.

The firm is also currently partnering with the Carbon Disclosure Project,(CDP), the independent, not-for-profit organization that works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and drive sustainable water use by business and cities. AECOM has volunteered its expertise in data analysis, communications and visualization techniques to support the CDP in producing its 2012 cities report. The report will analyze the responses of more than 70 large cities to CDP’s annual reporting process.

Gary Lawrence, AECOM vice president and chief sustainability officer commented:

“I am pleased with the solid progress AECOM made towards its sustainability objectives during the last year, as readers will see in the report.

“We are now more focused than ever on enabling our clients to be successful in the most sustainable ways possible, and we also are applying the same mindset to our own operations and community activities.”