FIDIC has a new chair of its sustainable development committee after Robert Spencer, global lead for strategic sustainability advice at AECOM, took over the post from Aurecon’s Tracey Ryan. We spoke to Robert about the committee and its plans for the future.
Robert, you’ve just taken over as chair of FIDIC’s sustainable development committee (SDC). Why is this area crucial for FIDIC and our industry?
Sustainable development is no longer a ‘specialist’ concern – it is the foundation on which our industry’s future will stand or fall. Engineering is about shaping the physical infrastructure of the world, and in doing so we either enable a just, climate-resilient future or we lock in risks and vulnerabilities for decades. FIDIC’s global reach means we can set the tone, embed sustainability into contracts, standards and best practice and give our members the tools to act decisively. Our role is to make sustainability both accessible and integral to every design decision, procurement choice and operational plan – not as an add-on, but as a defining quality of excellent, high-quality engineering.
Do engineers get enough credit for the role that they play in global sustainability?
Not yet – but they should. Engineers are the quietly-spoken enablers of change, translating ambition into the built systems that sustain our societies. Much of our impact is invisible to the public, but without engineers there is no clean energy network, no resilient water supply, no sustainable transport. We must tell this story better – not as self-congratulation, but to inspire the next generation and to help decision-makers understand that sustainable outcomes depend on engineering excellence.
Are clients firmly on board on this? And governments? We see so much about them dragging their feet or reining in on net zero targets.
Momentum is real, but uneven. Some clients and governments are leading with vision, ambition and investment. Others are constrained by politics, short-term economics, or competing priorities. My reading is there is now more positive work going on under the radar than you might expect. Our role in FIDIC is to remove excuses for backsliding – to show that sustainable solutions are not just technically possible, but economically smart, socially essential and politically resilient. By embedding carbon, climate resilience and social value into the engineering process itself, we make it harder for decision-makers to step back.
What are your aspirations for the work of the sustainable development committee going forward?
I want the SDC to be a catalyst for global transformation in our sector – developing tools, promoting frameworks and shaping policies that make sustainability the default. We will deepen our collaboration with clients, governments and the wider value chain, accelerate carbon management maturity and champion resilience in every project we can influence. Above all, we will keep our eyes on the prize – infrastructure and systems that enable humanity to thrive within planetary boundaries.
