How to reduce your project’s carbon footprint
From the The Money Files Blog
by Elizabeth Harrin
A blog that looks at all aspects of project and program finances from budgets, estimating and accounting to getting a pay rise and managing contracts.
Written by Elizabeth Harrin from RebelsGuideToPM.com.
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Date
The sustainability agenda is something all aspects of business are thinking about, and project management is no exception. We all need to be working towards creating a more sustainable future, and making the right choices on our projects is definitely one way to do that.
The first step is to make sure sustainability criteria are included in your documentation templates. You can add sustainable and carbon footprint criteria to your business case templates.
Here are some suggestions for how you can consider reducing the carbon footprint on your projects.
Create a benchmark
Many companies these days have teams dedicated to energy management and sustainability, so your first point of call should be to check in to see what initiatives are already underway. If your carbon efforts are going to be officially recognised, you need to use official methods of calculating the reduction, with full transparency and a robust, proven measurement process in place.
Who in the team will be responsible for tracking and measuring carbon savings, and do you need any additional processes in place to make it happen?
A full approach like that might be overkill – if there is no expectation of having to save carbon, you might not want to go down the route of proving that you are in a measurable, transparent way. However, you can still follow the rest of the steps to brainstorm carbon-saving ideas with the team and build in carbon-friendly ways of working.
Review project tasks
Take a look at the work you are going to be doing on this project. Which tasks are going to generate a carbon calculation that can be measured? What tasks are going to generate carbon and what can you do differently?
Identify carbon reduction activities
From the work you are doing and the tasks identified, take a look at what extra actions you could to reduce the carbon impact. For example, are you planning to print a lot of leaflets or documentation? What could be delivered via a QR code or provided in digital format? What would still need to be created in paper format for a selection of users who would not be able to access digital content?
What journeys are going to be undertaken on the project? Perhaps there are some workshops that can be held virtually and training delivered online instead of in a classroom. There are many advantages to getting together in person, but you might be able to identify some elements of the project that would work remotely.
You can also look at the supply chain. Can you ask whether suppliers can deliver in a more sustainable way, such as with electric vehicles, or in recyclable packaging. What would that do to the budget, if anything?
Add tasks to the plan
Add your carbon reduction actions to your project plan. You might need to take specific actions, you might need to be more mindful of the way in which existing tasks are delivered.
Make sure each action has an identified owner.
Track and monitor progress towards your goal
Include carbon data in your reporting. If you are tracking according to your organisation’s metrics, then you might have some help from specialist teams who will know how best to report the data.
Otherwise, add some narrative to your reporting to allow you to share your success with others.
A lot of being smart with carbon on your project is just asking yourself the question: what can we do and are we doing things in the best possible way? Being aware of the challenges and helping others see that sustainability is a focus for you is key to keeping it on the agenda and making it part of the accepted ways of working.
Posted on: December 11, 2023 08:00 AM |
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Comments (4)
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Markus Kopko
AI Enabler for Project & Program Mgmt | Founder PMotion.ai / The PM
AI Coach| PMotion.ai
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Dear Elizabeth,
Your emphasis on integrating sustainability and carbon footprint considerations into project management is both timely and essential. As businesses increasingly recognize the importance of sustainability, project managers have a crucial role in steering projects towards more environmentally responsible outcomes. Let’s explore your suggestions:
Incorporating Sustainability into Documentation: Updating documentation templates, such as business cases, to include sustainability criteria is a proactive first step. This ensures that environmental considerations are part of the decision-making process from the outset.
Creating a Benchmark: Collaborating with dedicated energy management or sustainability teams within the company can provide a starting point for measuring and tracking carbon reductions. Adopting official, transparent methods for calculation ensures credibility and alignment with broader organizational goals.
Reviewing Project Tasks for Carbon Impact: Analyzing specific project tasks to understand their carbon footprint allows for targeted actions to reduce emissions. This step is crucial in identifying which aspects of the project have the most significant environmental impact.
Identifying Carbon Reduction Activities: Looking for opportunities to minimize carbon emissions in project activities, such as opting for digital formats over printed materials or conducting virtual meetings, can substantially reduce the project's carbon footprint. Additionally, considering the sustainability practices of suppliers and exploring eco-friendlier alternatives can further enhance the project's environmental impact.
Adding Tasks to the Project Plan: Integrating specific carbon reduction actions into the project plan, with clear ownership, ensures these considerations are an integral part of the project execution.
Tracking and Monitoring Progress: Including carbon data in regular project reporting highlights the progress towards sustainability goals. Narrative reporting can also be used to communicate success and challenges in this area, especially when specific metrics are not available.
Your approach to sustainability in project management aligns with the growing global focus on environmental responsibility. It's about more than just compliance; it's about proactively seeking ways to reduce environmental impact and making sustainability a core aspect of project planning and execution.
In implementing these practices, project managers can lead by example, showing that sustainability is not just an add-on but a fundamental part of how projects are conceived and delivered.
Reflecting on your experience, how have you seen these sustainability practices implemented effectively in projects? What challenges might project managers face in integrating sustainability into their project plans, and how can these be overcome? Your insights on these aspects would be invaluable for project managers looking to incorporate sustainability into their project management practices.
BR,
Markus
Zohaib Qadir
System Administrator Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS)| Peshawar Institute of Cardiology
Peshawar, Kpk, Pakistan
Ming Yeung
Adjunct Professor & Acting COO/CPO/CRO (contract)| Blockchain Venture Capital Inc.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
A timely article on the emerging topic of ESG. Thank you.
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