An alliance between an international design firm and a global law firm will provide integrated strategic, technical and legal expertise for business leaders facing a range of complex challenges, including the transition to net zero, the firms say.
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International design, engineering and advisory company Aurecon has announced an industry-first alliance with global law firm Ashurst, offering integrated strategic, technical and legal expertise for business leaders facing a range of complex challenges, including the transition to net zero.
Aurecon CEO William Cox said that the first-of-its-kind alliance will seamlessly combine engineering, technical and legal advisory solutions to clients, bringing them the best of both worlds.
“Growing public and investor expectations on climate change, alongside tightening regulatory requirements, are putting the transition to net zero high on the strategic risk agenda for boards of asset-intensive organizations,” Cox said.
“Clients are actively seeking solutions to pressing climate change risks. The alliance with Ashurst will disrupt business-as-usual thinking about how to solve complex problems at the intersection of asset and legal risk exposure.”
Ashurst global chief executive officer Paul Jenkins reinforced this point when he said the alliance was a response to demand for end-to-end expert advice that might also cross business lines and territories, and include both compliance and ambition for a future ready state.
“Today’s organizations are looking to craft solutions from multiple expert perspectives, rather than generalist templates. Clients are accelerating their sustainability efforts as we all move towards a low carbon future and, together with Aurecon, we will provide them with bespoke solutions in what is a complex landscape. With the Ashurst Aurecon alliance, our clients will benefit from our future focus, the unique perspectives we bring, and our collaborative approach to problem solving.”
Cox said: “Our advisors have an established record in harnessing leading-edge digital tools, techniques and futures insights to transform ambiguity and risk into clear direction and opportunity. We advise organizations and governments on how to protect and enhance performance and respond to the risks and opportunities presented by sustainability and climate change. However, the work that needs to be done to transition to net zero and create social value in the next decade will require new thinking. Organizations expect deep expertise from multiple perspectives, delivered cohesively to drive progress and achieve results.”
“Combining the two organizations’ eminence in technical, legal and strategic risk is a game changer and offers a new and compelling alternative to a generalist approach. Our teams include some of the preeminent minds in this space and both advisory practices are on a rapid growth trajectory,” said Cox.
Aurecon’s deep technical understanding of asset-intensive organizations has seen its Advisory portfolio expand over the last five years, including significant growth of its climate transition risk advisory offering. The company has been investing in talent and has ambitious growth plans for the Advisory Group, particularly in helping clients to manage emerging risks, including climate change, social value and asset integrity. Since launching last year, Ashurst’s risk advisory practice has worked with clients across banking, financial services and funds management sectors on managing their governance and regulatory risk.
Aurecon Advisory Group managing principal Julian Dolby anticipates that the alliance will be in a unique position to meet client demand for end-to-end advice on climate transition risk which is likely to increase following the COP26 Climate Change Conference.
“Climate change is a challenge the scale of which we, as a society, have never faced before. We know that advising clients on their net zero journey requires more collaboration, not less, which is why the alliance with Ashurst is built on shared methodology and values,” said Dolby.
Both Ashurst and Aurecon have made commitments to achieving net zero. Aurecon is also signatory to the United Nations Global Compact and is a supporter of the Australian Industry Energy Transition Initiative to accelerate the impact of emissions reductions across hard-to-abate sectors.
