Social Responsibility
We shape a better world
Social responsibility is at the cornerstone of Arup’s corporate structure. Delivering quality work, acting honestly and fairly in all our dealings, and striving to enhance the prosperity and quality of life for our staff and the communities in which we work is central to our development and success. In the same way our dedication to our clients, industry and staff, and commitment to creativity, innovation and sustainable development is central to helping us shape a better world.
Launched in September 2007 our Sustainability Policy seeks to reinforce these values around delivery themes relating to our business, our people, our facilities and our external relationships. Through our Policy and our regional Corporate Sustainability Strategy (CSS) we implement practices that promote economic security, social betterment and environmental stewardship. We continuously strive for improvement in all these areas.
For us social responsibility extends much further than the office. We want to make a difference to the world we live in. This is just one of the reasons people feel proud to work for Arup.
Some of the initiatives we’ve introduced:
- We’ve implemented a region-wide environmental management system to control our impacts and outputs. In line with this initiative we will calculate and report on our annual carbon footprint.
- OvaGreen is a corporate initiative that supports our efforts to reduce our environmental impacts. Members meet on a regular basis to discuss practical ways for reducing our environmental impact and supporting charitable events, including Ride to Work Day, Earth Hour and Clean up Australia Day. OvaGreen has also championed the provision of bike loans to all Arup staff to enable those interested to ride to work.
- Through our Drivers of Change research we’ve explored key issues relating to energy, climate change, water, waste, poverty and urbanisation allowing us to provide future-proofing solutions for our clients’ projects. This internal research program allows staff to research and develop those drivers central to shaping our world now and into the future.
- A community partnering fund was set up to help support charities and communities in the areas in which we operate – this includes a significant pro-bono fund giving staff the opportunity to get involved in charitable projects working in their areas of expertise.
- Arup in Australasia is also a corporate partner of RedR Australia. Arup as a global firm supports RedR in respective regions. RedR is an international charity that trains and deploys professionals to assist in emergency situations. Actively involved in fundraising and field assignments for RedR, our engineers have an ideal opportunity to develop their skills in assisting humanitarian aid projects worldwide.
- Through WaterAid we’re also involved in projects to deliver safe water and sanitation to thousands of people in need. Our long term collaboration and involvement has culminated in many successful projects, for example in Bangladesh, Zambia and Madagascar. Many people within Arup are supported to actively campaign on behalf of WaterAid.
- We also support staff deciding to take sabbaticals of up to three months to help in disaster situations, or to complete training with RedR Australia.
These are just some examples of what we mean when we say ‘we shape a better world’. Discover more about our social responsibility achievements, and see the sort of contribution you could make by reading about the work of Daniel Lambert and Nicole Hahn. Or find out how you can connect with like minded Arup staff around the globe through the Poverty Action Network, and our internal commitments and responsibilities.
