insights Developing our sustainability strategy in Peru
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.
I am the sustainability strategy manager for our office in Lima, Peru. This became a new position in July and focuses on adding value to our projects and services by assessing and addressing environmental and social impacts and risks. Our team identifies opportunities to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and to the conservation of our planet and its inhabitants.
I joined AtkinsRéalis in 2013 working as project manager, senior environmental specialist and biodiversity studies lead, supporting environmental studies, impact assessments and biodiversity conservation initiatives. My work has focused on mining clients primarily, always working towards improving their environmental awareness and performance.
How are you helping to reduce pollution in your job?
Most of our clients and projects are in the mining industry, which can become a significant source of pollution if not controlled. Due to poorly managed mining facilities, some of the most contaminating and harmful substances have been released into rivers and oceans and on land, reaching “disaster” levels. However, we now know that sustainable mining is possible.
I, along with a multidisciplinary team, work to assess a project’s potential negative impacts to the environment and people. We analyze which options, technologies and measures can be put in place to prevent or minimize pollution and any other negative impacts. If residual effects remain in the environment, we look for options to remediate or restore them. Finally, for those impacts that cannot be avoided, minimized or restored, we search options to compensate for them at a scale that is adequate for the type of impact. This process is known as the mitigation hierarchy and is the core of our business. Our goal is to find the right strategy so that the final balance for all our projects is a win-win scenario: the environment wins, people win, and a profitable project is achieved, aiming at reaching net gains which are far greater than the inevitable losses.
What inspired you to take an active interest in reducing pollution professionally?
I’m a biologist. So, from early on, my objective in life has been to find ways to protect and preserve biodiversity. Often pollution and other types of environmental damage are analyzed only from a human receptor point of view. And people tend to forget that there are many other essential receptors—some big, some quite tiny— and none of them get to have a say because they don’t have a voice. For example, pollution from light exposure is often overlooked because people can find refuge in homes or other types of shelter. It can have a significant negative effect, however, on migratory and other types of birds and the insects they eat. Pollution to rivers is very often focused on how it affects drinking water, or water for irrigation, or even water for recreational use. But what about aquatic life? Fish are often the only organisms considered, and only because they are a source of food. In Peruvian legislation, protection of aquatic life guidelines is the fourth category, and most rivers are not even required to comply with them.
So that has been my job for most of my professional career—to evaluate how projects might harm flora and fauna species and ecosystems, and help prevent, minimize, restore or compensate for them. Lately, that has expanded to a broader context. Now I focus on finding strategies that make our projects more sustainable and managing any negative effects on the environment and people.
What innovative technologies or trends do you see coming that will help us fight against pollution?
Today’s emerging and innovative technologies help fight against pollution. They will continue to evolve and adapt to meet our needs, such as nanotechnology, engineering at the level of atoms and molecules. However, if I had to choose only one “tool” that I think has been, and will continue to be, most helpful in fighting pollution and raising awareness, I would say it’s digital public accountability— making companies publicly report on their environmental and social performance.
Nowadays, most companies, regardless of size, produce such reports, commonly in the form of an annual sustainably report. These explain how the company measures impacts, such as their carbon footprint, water footprint and other environmental and social issues. And the best part is the report shows what the company is doing to improve trends overtime.
There are more formal ways of doing this, such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), which is an organization that has set an international standard for sustainability reporting to help organizations be transparent and take responsibility for their impacts, including emissions, effluents, waste, biodiversity, energy and many other very relevant topics. And since the main principle behind these reports is transparency, anyone can access them and read about the actions companies are taking to tackle their negative impacts. Such transparency is a big driver for improvement. The more actions taken, the better performance to show on the report, and the more likely to attain or maintain their social license to operate. This all leads to a healthier planet. It’s not the solution to our pollution problems, but I believe it is a significant driver for change in our society’s mindset. Everyone is accountable for their impacts to our planet.
In your personal life, what do you do to help reduce pollution at home?
I’m a big believer that anyone anywhere can chip in on the fight against pollution, and you should “walk your talk.” So, if my work consists of trying to reduce a project’s impacts on the environment, I need to do the same at home. We are big fans of the three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle. We almost never use plastic bags for shopping. I carry reusable bags in my purse permanently. I favor sustainably sourced food, although it is not always easy to find. I also shop locally at smaller markets whenever possible. Everyone at home has a personal water bottle. We never use plastic wrap, but rather plastic or glass containers for storing food. And almost everything at home gets recycled. My three recycling containers are seldomly empty because of the crazy amount of plastic and other recyclable materials everything comes in, which is overwhelming. My husband builds eco-bricks from soda plastic bottles. He fills them with plastics that cannot be recycled and then donates them. And lastly, at home we have switched our regular liquid detergent for an ecological version that is biodegradable. And the container is returned to the seller when we need a new one.
Because of the pandemic, a lot of none-recyclable items have appeared in our household. Here are some other things actions to consider for minimizing our COVID-related pollution or negative effects. Always cut your disposable mask’s straps, so they can’t affect terrestrial and aquatic animals if not properly disposed of. If possible, use reusable masks. Also, buy large alcohol or disinfectant containers and use smaller refillable ones for daily use.
How would you argue that preventing pollution is good for our economy?
I think preventing pollution is the only way forward if we want an economy at all. Each year Earth Overshoot Day, which marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year, falls a bit earlier. In 2021, it fell on July 29. That means that for the rest of 2021, we have already exceeded Earth’s ecological budget. All managers would agree it is not good to go over budget. And pollution only inhibits our planet’s ability to regenerate. It makes it sick. When you are sick, can you work at the same rate, and operate as well as when you are healthy? I can’t, and my husband certainly cannot either. So why do we keep expecting Earth to do it? If we want a planet where humans thrive along with our economy, then we all must do what is in our power to prevent, fight and reduce pollution.
Green or renewable energy, like wind, solar and thermal, is an excellent example of a good contributor to our economy while helping our planet. Such projects need to be promoted and conducted in a sustainable way. We just need to understand that acting sustainably, balancing economic growth with environmental protection and social wellbeing, is everyone’s responsibility if we want our children and their children to have a place to thrive.
Interested? Find out more about life at AtkinsRéalis
Sign up to receive the latest content tailored to your interests
Our articles
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
10/25/2024
Summary
I'm Mei, a chartered engineer with extensive experience in water and wastewater engineering projects in the UK and internationally. I’m the Water Sector Lead and Project Director in AtkinsRéal
by
Shailaja Mantha
Preview
GeneralContent type
BlogsPublish date
10/11/2024
Summary
Hello. I'm Karen, a Senior Programme Manager in Project & Programme Services at AtkinsRéalis in the UK. Born to Ghanaian parents and raised in North London, my journey has been one of resilience
Preview
CanadaContent type
BlogsPublish date
10/10/2024
Summary
From engineering internships to leadership roles: My journey at AtkinsRéalis Discovering leadership through my civil engineering internships Allô, my name is Karolane. I work at AtkinsRéalis
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
10/08/2024
Summary
At AtkinsRéalis, we believe that sustainability is more than just a goal - it shapes everything we do. For over a decade, our team members, like the one you'll meet today, have b
Preview
Middle EastContent type
BlogsPublish date
10/02/2024
Summary
In the rapidly evolving world of energy, having the right foundation in nuclear and net zero energy is crucial. AtkinsRéalis stands at the forefront of this sector, offering abundant opportuniti
Preview
Middle EastContent type
BlogsPublish date
10/01/2024
Summary
We interviewed Turki Ghesheyan on his experience with the AtkinsRéalis Saudi Graduate Program. Tell us a little bit about yourself My name is Turki, I am an Architectural Engineer who graduated from
Preview
Middle EastContent type
BlogsPublish date
09/30/2024
Summary
At AtkinsRéalis, we have a team of local, regional, and international experts in the UAE who are dedicated to delivering innovative solutions in the market to meet the needs of our clients. The UAE i
Preview
EuropeContent type
BlogsPublish date
09/30/2024
Summary
Hello, my name is Sherif, and I work at AtkinsRéalis in London. As a principal fire engineer, I'm proud to "engineer a better future" every day here, specifically as our work relates to shaping
Preview
EuropeContent type
ProjectsPublish date
09/30/2024
Summary
Hinkley Point C (HPC) is the first nuclear power station to be built in the UK since the 1990s. Technically complex and the country’s largest infrastructure project – our talented people from
Preview
GeneralContent type
BlogsPublish date
09/30/2024
Summary
Hi! I'm Alina, an associate director specialized in transport infrastructure engineering. I lead the North-West Estimating team in Project & Programme Services here in Manchester. Over the past
Preview
Middle EastContent type
BlogsPublish date
09/27/2024
Summary
Across the evolving landscape of the Middle East, Architects play a large part in designing and planning complex building structures that are in line with groundbreaking innovation. The constructio
Preview
Middle EastContent type
BlogsPublish date
09/24/2024
Summary
In the fast-paced world of consultancy, architecture, and project management, the need for forward-thinking leadership and innovative strategies has never been more critical. At AtkinsRéalis, we
Related jobs
Salary
Location
Dubai
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Engineering (Other)
Category
Permanent
Location
Dubai
Description
AtkinsRéalis is currently looking for Resident Engineer (Site Operations).About AtkinsRéalis Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-cla
Reference
R-122345
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Dubai
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Electrical engineering
Category
Permanent
Location
Dubai
Description
AtkinsRéalis is looking for Electrical InspectorAbout AtkinsRéalis Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engineering services an
Reference
R-122361
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Dubai
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Engineering (Other)
Category
Permanent
Location
Dubai
Description
AtkinsRéalis is looking for Junior ICT EngineerAbout AtkinsRéalis Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engineering services and
Reference
R-122358
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Dubai
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Structural engineering
Category
Permanent
Location
Dubai
Description
AtkinsRéalis is looking for Structural Engineer (Site Operations)About AtkinsRéalis Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engine
Reference
R-122343
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Jeddah
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Electrical engineering
Category
Permanent
Location
Jeddah
Description
AtkinsRéalis is looking for an Electrical Engineer.About AtkinsRéalisCreated by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engineering services a
Reference
R-121930
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Dubai
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Human resources
Category
Permanent
Location
Dubai
Description
We are seeking a highly experienced Data Accuracy Specialist to join our team. This role will focus exclusively on ensuring the accuracy and integrity of employee data across multiple systems, includi
Reference
R-122128
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Dubai
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Construction
Category
Permanent
Location
Dubai
Description
AtkinsRéalis are currently looking for a degree qualified Construction Director with over 20 years experience. This person must be forward thinking and experienced in running large, multi-disciplined
Reference
R-122087
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Dubai
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Engineering (Other)
Category
Permanent
Location
Dubai
Courtice
Description
Project Director – Rail Sector Join us in engineering a better future for our planet and its people.AtkinsRéalis is a world-leading design, engineering, and project management organization. We connect
Reference
R-122086
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Jeddah
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Corporate communications
Category
Permanent
Location
Jeddah
Description
AtkinsRéalis Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engineering services and nuclear company dedicated to engineering a better fut
Reference
R-121999
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Riyadh
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Civil engineering
Category
Permanent
Location
Riyadh
Description
**AtkinsRéalis is looking for a Civil/Structural Engineer (Design Review)** **About AtkinsRéalis** Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a wo
Reference
R-121998
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Equality, diversity and inclusion
We’re devoted to growing the diversity of our people, promoting an inclusive culture, providing everyone with an equal voice because simply put, it’s the right thing to do. Click to learn more.
Find out more