High Stakes: Managing Sustainable Projects

  Organizational Culture   Sustainability   PM Network  

The specter of climate change and the daunting challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions are changing our collective consciousness. The concept of a “triple bottom line” based on social, environmental and economic impacts, and the idea of “intergenerational equity” (meeting our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs) are infiltrating our thinking. And that’s changing how businesses operate and envision their futures. Organizations that embrace sustainability understand the practice needs to be fully integrated into a strategic and operational framework. Put simply, sustainability needs to become a part of how organizations do business.

But what does sustainability mean for project managers? How should we incorporate these practices into projects?

Learning by doing

As someone with a personal commitment to a climatefriendly lifestyle, these are questions I’ve been asking myself for some time. Unfortunately, there are no easy answers. There isn’t a PMI global standard for sustainable project management— or at least not yet! Concepts and practices are still in an embryonic state. In other words, we need to explore, share ideas and learn by doing.

I suggest we mirror the way organizations are weaving sustainability into the fabric of their businesses and make it an …

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