One of the challenges we hear time and time again is that the shift to green project management and working in more sustainable ways is “hard”. And it is – we don’t dispute that any change to business practices is difficult when you are first setting out to do things in a new way. But like anything, whether that’s moving to earned value management practices, launching new project management software, upskilling your team or anything else – once you’ve done it, you move on in huge leaps and never look back!
Sustainable working practices feels the same, and it’s not something we can overlook. Clients are demanding that suppliers live their values and meet their environmental expectations and responsibilities, so if you want your business to grow, it’s important to think about how you can make the shift.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the main barriers to adopting green project management methods and what you can do about them to stay relevant in a world where sustainability is more important than ever.
Barriers to sustainability
There are three barriers perceived as blockers to moving to green project management practices that come up in our conversations with project managers on our training courses or client projects.
1. Higher initial costs
Sustainable materials and technologies may come with higher upfront costs. However, the long-term savings and environmental benefits outweigh these initial investments. If you think about the cost of a more energy-efficient piece of machinery, it may cost more for the first project it is used on as you have to buy it, but over its life, the energy costs for running it are likely to work out cheaper.
We have also found that equipment built with sustainability in mind tends to have a longer lifespan. To give a small example, one of our team bought a backpack recently from a supplier which offered a two-year guarantee and a lifetime free repair service, to keep their products out of landfill and usable for as long as possible. Reducing single-use items in favor of items with a longer life can be a way to reduce costs over time.
2. Resistance to change
Unsurprisingly, stakeholders may be resistant to adopting green practices, either due to cost concerns or lack of understanding about the long-term benefits.
Changing working practices is difficult. When businesses are facing pressures elsewhere, it can feel like one thing too many for organizations to take on yet more change. Sustainability managers can find themselves in a team of one, battling against the monolith of established practice.
3. Regulatory hurdles
If you’re going to be sustainable, and say that you are sustainable, you have to meet the environmental regulations required. That can be a challenge – firstly, you have to understand and interpret what’s required, which may different across regions. Next, you have to be able to evidence that you are working in sustainable ways. Those checks and balances often come with a cost, such as hiring a governance and compliance manager to ensure that regulations are met, audits prepared for and passed.
How to overcome sustainability challenges
Knowing that it’s hard to make changes, what can you practically do to encourage the adoption of sustainable working practices? As with any change, there are ways you can build momentum and shift behavior. Here are some that are tried-and-tested.
Keep communicating
Communication is one of the most effective strategies in stakeholder engagement. Use case studies from competitors, pull data from customer surveys, look at which businesses get investment and grants.
Educate stakeholders on the long-term value of green project management and practices, such as cost savings from energy efficiency and positive brand image.
Incentivize green practices
Think about how you could incentivize green practices internally. Perhaps you could run a suggestion scheme for employees to put forward ideas for how to be more sustainable. We know some schemes have come up with workable, not-expensive options from colleagues that are easy wins.
Publish data internally to show how different teams or projects are embracing the challenge. Another company we know publishes recycling volumes and energy usage per location to highlight teams that are doing well and to share best practice. The idea isn’t to name and shame, but to point out the art of the possible and to encourage teams to learn from each other. This goes far beyond simply reminding people to switch off their monitors and light switches at night.
One smart idea that came out of this was to use the plastic bags clean linen was delivered in to line the bins to minimize the impact of single use plastic. So simple, and it saves money as well as reducing plastic usage.
There may also be government incentives, tax rebates, and grants for green projects can offset initial costs. Research what options are available and whether your project is eligible. Could the project scope be changed slightly and implement green project management practices to bring the work in line with the requirements for grants or investment?
Phase in changes
Integrating sustainability in phases allows for a gradual transition and easier adaptation by the team and other stakeholders. In project work, you’d want to front-load as much of the sustainability work as possible so that the tasks and goals are known before the project begins. However, you don’t have to do everything on every project.
As an organization, you can phase in new ways of working, expecting projects to adapt to internal and external standards over time. Work with the Project Management Office to create a timeline for when projects should be expected to change up their practices so you’re continually improving.
As sustainability becomes a core component of business practices, project teams have a crucial role in ensuring that sustainability is integrated into project planning, execution and delivery, but we all know that change is hard.
You can take proactive steps in green project management to align with sustainable practices. The steps might be small to begin with, but every change matters and will help get you closer to your environmental targets. Embracing sustainability is not just about compliance or cost saving; it’s about driving long-term value for the organization and the planet.