Aurecon has announced its strategic investment in ERE Consulting Group, a multidisciplinary environmental consultancy based in Malaysia. This is the company’s second investment in the country this year, after GCU Consultants Sdn Bhd in April. ERE is now a member of the Aurecon Group, effective 1 August 2021.
William Cox, CEO of Aurecon, said the investment in ERE reflects Aurecon’s ongoing commitment to growing its business in Asia. “Under the leadership of Stephane Asselin, we are building our scale and our capabilities across Asia,” he highlighted.
“Recently, Aurecon has been recognised as one of ENR’s Top 200 Environmental Firms globally. As we welcome ERE to the Aurecon Group, I am confident that this further strengthens Aurecon’s environmental, water and sustainable development capabilities across Asia Pacific and will help clients to design resilient solutions that are ready for the future.”
Aurecon explained that even as the country continues to face the challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic, economists and analysts are optimistic Malaysia’s GDP growth will recover in 2021, underlining the resilience of the country’s economy and highlighting the strong scope for growth. According to the World Bank, Malaysia could register 4.5% GDP growth this year.
Significant investments in water supply, sanitation, waste management and energy are expected in Malaysia and these will present major work opportunities to Aurecon and ERE. More recently, Malaysia’s Water and Environment Ministry (KASA) has committed to a Sustainable Malaysia 2030 target. This is in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which will be rolled out through its Strategic Plan 2020 – 2030: Environmental Sustainability in Malaysia.
Stephane Asselin, chief executive for Asia at Aurecon, said the investment in ERE will position Aurecon well for future opportunities in Malaysia and beyond. ERE’s sustainable development expertise and track record in the delivery of water strategy and resources management, green infrastructure, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable transportation projects, will add greater strength to Aurecon’s overall business offering.
“We are excited about the integration with ERE, as it will allow us to accelerate our growth and pursue more opportunities with governments and organisations who are considering how sustainability and climate change will affect their business models, supply chains, infrastructure and investments in Malaysia and internationally,” said Mr Asselin.
Established in 1995, ERE provides sustainable development solutions to governments, industries, and organisations across Asia. Key services that the company offers include environment impact assessment, biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management, natural resources planning and management, water resources management, green infrastructure, sustainable transportation, industrial environmental management, public outreach, and social sciences.
In Malaysia alone, ERE has helped shape the country’s various national and sub-national policies, plans and standards in water, environment, sustainability, and biodiversity; developed and executed public outreach programmes; worked on environmental, social and heritage impact assessment and wildlife management programme; and conducted environmental and social planning and management for various major transportation projects, water resources projects as well as large industrial projects.
With a team of 50 environmental and social specialists, ERE has undertaken over 600 projects and supported more than 150 businesses and government organisations in Malaysia and other countries in Southeast Asia during the last 25 years.
“We are looking forward to being a member of the Aurecon Group and to work with the team to take on even bigger and more complex projects,” said Dr G Balamurugan, managing director of ERE. “We see a positive synergy between us and Aurecon’s business, growth strategy, brand values and more importantly, our shared passion to deliver meaningful, sustainable and resilient solutions. We are confident we can achieve great things together and deliver solutions that will enable our clients to be engineered for life.”
