LOS ANGELES—AECOM has announced plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions across its global operations. The decision came after attending a Department of Energy meeting, where President Obama was also in attendance. The exact strategy will be reported in the company's annual enterprise sustainability report, starting in 2016.

“This program formalizes and extends a range of efforts we've been making in our offices and across our organization to reduce our carbon impact and natural resource usage,” Gary Lawrence, chief sustainability officer for AECOM, tells GlobeSt.com. “Our goal is to minimize our GHG emissions and maximize the benefits to our environment and our business.”

The Department of Energy meeting was held on March 19 and discussed the business and environmental benefits of GHG-reduction targets. It was held after President Obama introduced an executive order to cut federal GHG emissions by 40% over the next decade, a cut that will save taxpayers $18 billion. AECOM's announcement will make sustainability advancements in the private sector, both in the buildings it occupies and those that it designs. “Sustainability is not just fundamental to our corporate purpose; it's essential to our shared future,” says Lawrence. “It's useful to view sustainability efforts as a form of risk management, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions is one of the most important risk management steps human society can take.”