AESG, a leading global international consultancy, has announced further expansion of its global footprint with the launch of its offices in Sydney that will serve as its headquarters for the Australasian markets.

 

The Sydney office will also work closely with AESG’s Singapore office to further strengthen the firm’s value proposition to clients throughout the Asia Pacific region. 

 

AESG’s momentum in Australia will be spearheaded by Devan Valenti who has been brought on as Director of Sustainability for the country. He brings over a decade of expertise in sustainability across three continents and has been pivotal in advancing ESG practices within the property sector. 

 

Prior to this, Valenti served as Senior Manager and ESG Lead for Asia Pacific at the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), highlighting his strategic acumen and deep commitment to sustainable development. 

 

Additionally, he is the author of "Green is Not a Colour," a book that explores the environmental challenges facing our world, and their promising solutions, such as the expected perishing of topsoil within the next 60 years and the rise of hydroponic farming within our cities. 

 

The book examines the forces that have led us down this unsustainable path, why the environmental movement has taken so long to gain traction, and how innovation can lead us towards a sustainable future by identifying both current and developing opportunities.

 

The strategic move into Australia marks another milestone for the company which, in just 14 years since its founding, has grown to be one of the region’s largest privately held consultancies with offices across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, and Singapore, serving the Middle East, Europe and Asia, said a top official.

 

"Today, AESG proudly extends the reach of its world-class service portfolio into Australia. The nation’s ambitious decarbonisation strategy and emissions reduction targets for 2035 aligns perfectly with our mission as a business to drive the net zero and sustainability agenda in our sectors," remarked its CEO Saeed Al Abbar.

 

"By placing our industry experts on the ground, with their years of international experience yearned from working on some of the world’s most demanding development undertakings, we hope to infuse the market with global best practices and fresh perspectives, he stated. 

 

"By the same measure, I am confident that the talented professionals we hire locally will not only provide local know how within the Australian market but also inject significant value back into our organisation, and the clients we serve across markets," added Al Abbar. 

 

In appointing Devan Valenti - who was instrumental in the development of the Green Star Buildings Rating now embraced as a cornerstone by Australian property developers - as Director of Sustainability in Australia and Brent Ridgard - who previously served as National Director of Environmental Assessment and Planning at a prominent firm in Australia - to lead its environmental division in the Middle East, AESG said it has already demonstrated the value of its ability to tap into top talent from across geographies.

 

Aligning with its intent to guide developers in Australia towards energy-efficient, net-zero solutions as well as solve complex engineering challenges, at the onset, AESG will focus on developing its Environment and Sustainability and Specialist Engineering offerings, it stated. 

 

According to AESG, the service lines offered by these divisions that are beneficial to its clients include Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD), Facade Engineering, Fire and Life Safety, ESG Advisory, Carbon and Net Zero Consultancy, Green Building Certifications, Low Carbon Engineering, Ecological Surveys, and Environmental & Social Impact Assessment. 

 

Globally renowned projects for which the company has delivered some of these services include The Red Sea International Airport, ICD Brookfield Place, NEOM, Masdar City MC2 and NHS Trust Net Zero Roadmap.-TradeArabia News Service