How is sustainability affecting the way we manage projects? We’ve done some thinking on this topic recently, as sustainability practices in project management is definitely one of the top trends we are seeing in the industry. We’ve identified three ways in which sustainability practices are changing the way projects are managed, and in this article, we’ll tell you what you need to know to make sure your projects are keeping pace with this evolving domain.
The rise of green certifications
First, there are more certifications and guidance schemes that organizations can align to that relate to greener ways of management. For example:
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED): LEED certification is one of the most recognized green building certifications, indicating that a project has met specific sustainability criteria related to energy efficiency, water use and material selection.
- BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method): A leading green building certification in the UK and internationally, BREEAM focuses on sustainability in building design, construction and operation.
- ISO 14001 Certification: ISO 14001 provides a framework for organizations to manage their environmental responsibilities through an environmental management system. Projects that align with ISO 14001 certification often prioritize energy efficiency, waste management and carbon footprint reduction.
Now, we’re not saying that you have to get a environmental certification, but if your company already does have this kind of credential (or is working towards one) then you’ll have to take them into account when planning your projects.
The good thing about certification schemes is that once you have achieved one, as an organization, you’ll have the internal structures in place to manage your projects in a more environmentally-friendly way. For example, the appetite will be there through the culture change created by the certification to invest in renewable energy for projects, or use recycled materials in built environment projects, or minimize the impact to the local ecosystems.
There might be an energy manager or sustainability manager you can talk to about the project and who can advise on the right approaches to use – and what’s already in place so you don’t have to start from scratch.
As an organization, you’ll probably also already have measurements and metrics in place to track carbon usage, volumes of waste and so on, which will be useful for project benefit tracking. Talk to other project managers who have done similar projects and see what benefits tracking they did, or how they used the certifications to influence the way project delivery happened.
The impact of eco-friendly technologies
The second thing we’re seeing is the impact of eco-friendly technologies on projects. That’s everything from solar panels, wind energy system, recycling ‘used’ water or geothermal heating. There are some projects that lend themselves more towards these technologies, such as construction and engineering work, but even software projects can take these concepts into consideration. It takes a lot of power to process big data sets or AI-powered workflows or commands.
When you’re planning your project, consider how you can minimize a project’s energy footprint or choose options that decrease your company’s reliance on non-renewable energy sources. Choose to work with suppliers who have similar environmental standards and ambitions to you. Use environmental criteria in supplier selection. Even small things, like providing the tech for colleagues to work remotely so that travel is minimized, can help you stick to your values.
Tech is constantly changing, so stay close to your engineers or IT teams and see what they are looking at. Perhaps they’ll be investigating some cutting-edge tools that you can adopt on your project – you’ll get to test out some new tech and they’ll get a real-world application for a pilot so they can see how it works.
Navigating digital sustainability
Finally, we’re seeing more companies finding ways to navigate digital sustainability. And by that, we mean using sustainability reporting tools as part of the daily work operations tohelp track sustainability goals in real-time. Project teams can tap into the data available in these systems to baseline project benefits or to get more information on how a project deliverable might affect sustainability reporting going forward.
We know that AI processing uses a lot of power, but it can also optimize resource allocation, energy use, and waste management to reduce inefficiencies – all features worth looking into. Automation can reduce human error and energy consumption in various tasks – even things like installing motion-sensor lights in new buildings can help manage energy usage (although we know how annoying it is to have to wave your arms around in a long meeting!).
Putting these into practice
Sustainability should be considered across the entire project lifecycle. Draw on any standards, guidelines and internal best practices your company considers essential and build out your project management approach to consider sustainable ways of delivery throughout the scheduled work.
Here are some suggestions:
- Initiation: Include sustainability criteria in your business case and success measures.
- Planning: Source eco-friendly materials, design for energy efficiency and minimize waste.
- Execution: Work with suppliers who share your environmental values, minimize staff travel, recycle, minimize waste and put your plans into action.
- Monitoring and Control: Track sustainability KPIs like emissions, energy usage or waste alongside other project performance measures like earned value.
- Closure: Capture lessons learned about sustainable practices for future projects.
Sustainability is no longer a fringe consideration, it’s becoming a central pillar of how projects are planned, delivered, and evaluated. From aligning with green certifications to integrating eco-friendly technologies and embracing digital sustainability, project managers today are expected to consider environmental and social impacts alongside time, cost and scope.
And we should – it’s simply the right thing to do and beyond that, it’s good risk management, good business and increasingly, a competitive advantage.
Whether you’re delivering infrastructure, tech, or transformation, look at how your project contributes to (or detracts from) your organisation’s broader sustainability practices and goals. The more embedded sustainability practices become in our project delivery, the more capable we’ll be of leading impactful, future-ready work.