Inspired by his parents’ resourcefulness, Spiro Pappas is passionate about building a cleaner and more resilient future for people and communities by reducing the environmental impact of infrastructure and organizations.
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United States
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Monday, August 12, 2024
Reading Time :
2:00 minutes
With a passion for sustainability, cultivated at home and through his experiences at university, Spiro Pappas landed in an ideal consulting role with WSP’s small but powerful Climate Resilience team. Developing long-term roadmaps to strengthen climate resilience, Spiro helps airports and other organizations reduce their environmental impacts and achieve carbon emissions targets to protect the planet and communities.
Watch his full interview below.
How is your work at WSP impacting communities?
Our team helps reduce the impacts of potential future climate change hazards. We look at what potential scenarios may look like in 2050, 2060 or 2080 and help identify vulnerabilities to infrastructure and assets. We help build investment tools, conduct risk analysis and perform adaptation assessments to help clients make better decisions. When their assets in the built environment – roads, bridges, highways and buildings – are more protected and less vulnerable, that helps protect the community and the economy.
Where did you get your passion for sustainability?
My parents instilled a sustainability lens in me that recognizes how we’re all global citizens and the environment is a lot bigger than the place you find yourself in. They taught me to be mindful of what you can do to reduce your own footprint on the planet, and because of this, I try to leave things in better shape than I inherited them. In our industry, that means helping clients achieve their sustainability goals, mitigating their risk from climate hazards and reducing their carbon emissions. This is best accomplished when we listen to people closely to understand their complex problems and work together to create unique solutions.
How did WSP help get you where you are today?
When I joined WSP, I started out in the Environmental Planning group. A few years later, the Climate Resilience & Sustainability organization was formed, which looked like a natural fit for me. To find out how people navigated internal transitions, I reached out to the Developing Professionals Network (DPN) for advice. The DPN is a platform for growth at WSP that brings together people who are newer to their careers, with less than 10 years’ experience in the industry. Later, when I engaged with leadership, they helped make the transition smooth. It reflects leadership's support in helping you drive your own career. It is something that separates WSP from its competitors in the industry.
