Making sustainable project choices

In 2024 we doubled down on making planet-positive, sustainable choices in our project pursuits and in how we work with our clients. We focused on expanding our Key Client Program and becoming our clients’ partner of choice for their most important projects.

Our clients’ sustainable project choices

One of the most powerful ways Arcadis can accelerate a planet positive future is by supporting our clients in making and executing value-adding sustainable choices. This starts right from the beginning of a project: we now carry out a carbon footprint assessment on major projects during the pursuit process, and – where relevant – we assess any potential impacts on biodiversity and water supply, so we can start the dialog with the client ahead of the project planning stage. As demonstrated through the work of our Global Business Areas (GBAs) in 2024, clients consider our focus on sustainability – and how we leverage that focus to optimize asset cost and performance – as a major benefit and differentiator in the market.

Key Client Program 2.0

In 2024 we invested in our Key Client Program by increasing the number of client accounts in the program by 50%, redefining our value proposition, and strengthening our coverage teams. Among Arcadis’ 9,000+ clients, those identified to join this program are clients that bring in a high volume of work and, crucially, clients that offer the most potential for the future. Investing in our client relationships and positioning ourselves as a trusted advisor will help our account and sales leads address client challenges across multiple areas. In this way, we can increasingly partner with our Key Clients to create maximum value for both them and Arcadis, seizing opportunities to support Key Clients with a wider range and number of solutions.

Optimizing our pursuit process

Arcadis is increasingly incorporating technology and digital tools to streamline and strengthen the pursuit process. In terms of decision-making, making our pursuit process more robust is giving us the ability to make better decisions on project selection and resourcing, thanks to improved visibility on profitability. And, in terms of creating a project proposal, automation and AI have an important role to play – for example, we can use AI to quickly identify and synthesize relevant material we have prepared for previous pitches, creating a more compelling proposal in a shorter amount of time. In this way, we can ensure Arcadians spend as much time as possible on billable project work, using their skills effectively and creating maximum value for clients. In 2024 we put a project team in place to explore how to optimize our pursuit process – and in 2025 we should see the first rollout of elements of that already coming through. By using all the tools at our disposal to further improve our operational efficiency, we can boost the sustainability of our business.