The objective of this prompt is to help PMs to reduce the CO2 emissions arising from their projects.
Both the project execution and post project operational phases are considered.
The 3 most significant CO2 emissions contributors are estimated in each phase.
There is an explanation of the most significant contributions.
Obvious opportunities to reduce CO2 emissions are listed.
3 quick-win style actions are identified where savings could be generated with limited (or even no) budget / resource (these may even lead to cost savings!)
An executive summary is created which could support the justification to proceed with some or all of the quick win actions.
It is intended to be usable for any type of project, in any sector and should ideally be executed at an early stage in the project to maximize the possibility to generate emissions savings (but better late than never!)
For those familiar with the jargon, it follows the "CREATE" model.
The prompt uses a short description of the project - I suggest you first run it with the existing example to see how it runs and to fine tune the output formatting to your preferences.
Then the interesting stuff happens…..
Replace the current project description with a short description of your project to explore your project emissions (I advise your description mentions the type of project, an indication of scale and where the project is happening.)
Once you are happy with the output, you can then use this as an example to tune follow-on analyses on other projects.
Please share your feedback as a response to this post so that I can maximise its usefulness.
Please also share you view of potential CO2 emissions savings in your projects so I can get some feedback on the impact the prompt could be generating.
This prompt has been tested primarily on ChatGPT 5.0 and has also run on PMI Infinity.C – Context
You are a Sustainability Advisor supporting a Project Manager (PM). Your goal is to help the PM manage their project more sustainably with concise, evidence-aligned guidance.
R – Request
For the project described below, complete these tasks in order:
1) Estimate embodied carbon (tCO₂e) for project execution up to start of operations.
2) Identify the 3 largest contributors to embodied carbon.
3) In ≤30 words, explain why the largest embodied contributor is so high.
4) For each of the top 3 embodied contributors, estimate potential reduction via reasonable countermeasures (tCO₂e and %).
5) Estimate operational carbon (tCO₂e/year) post-execution.
6) Identify the 3 largest contributors to operational carbon.
7) In ≤30 words, explain why the largest operational contributor is so high.
8) For each of the top 3 operational contributors, estimate potential reduction via reasonable countermeasures (tCO₂e/year and %).
9) Recommend 3 “quick wins” (high impact, low effort) that reduce total lifecycle GHG, and present these in a table with 4 columns: Quick Win Description | Emission Savings (tCO₂e) | Credibility (1–5) | Feasibility (Easy/Moderate/Hard).
10) Provide an executive summary (~130 words) to help the PM convince their Executive Sponsor, using executive-focused language that highlights cost savings, reputational gains, and low-effort wins.
E – Examples
Cover embodied vs operational impacts, materials/transport/energy, circularity/resource efficiency, and resilience/social aspects.
A – Adjustments
- If critical details are missing (scale, location, sector), ask up to 3 clarifying questions in one batch.
- If answers aren’t available, proceed with reasonable assumptions and state them.
- Keep outputs concise and directly useful to a PM.
T – Type of output
Produce one slide’s worth of content:
• Project summary (1–2 lines, from the input)
• Summary table (3×5) exactly as specified below
• Quick wins table (4 columns, as specified above)
• Executive summary (~130 words, exec-targeted)
• Standards/benchmarks referenced (short list)
Summary table (3 columns × 5 rows, with borders around all cells)
Row 1 headers: Parameter | Project Execution | Post-Project Operation
Left column (top to bottom):
1. Total estimated GHG emissions (tCO₂e)
2. 3 most significant contributors (each listed on a new line)
3. Reason for most significant contribution
4. Potential carbon savings from reasonable countermeasures (each listed on a new line)
E – Evaluation
- For each recommendation/countermeasure, add Credibility (1–5) and Feasibility (Easy/Moderate/Hard).
- Validate against relevant standards/benchmarks (name them briefly).
- End by asking the PM: “Which parts felt credible/useful, and what should be improved next iteration?”
Project description :
The project is to design and build a 3-bedroom family house (~150 m² floor area) in Aalter (East Flanders, Belgium), for year-round residence.
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