Glossary of Sustainability
and Sustainable Project Management™ Terms

A

Accountability

Willingness to accept appropriate scrutiny and a duty to respond to this scrutiny.

Adaptability

Ability to adjust to new conditions or changes in the environment.

Adaptive Capacity

The ability of systems, institutions, and communities to adjust to potential damages or opportunities arising from environmental changes, ensuring resilience and sustainability.

Adaptive Management

A structured, iterative process of decision-making in the face of uncertainty, with an aim to reduce uncertainty over time via system monitoring.

Afforestation

Planting trees in an area where there was no previous tree cover to increase forest cover and biodiversity.

Agile Principles

Set of principles for software development under which requirements and solutions evolve through the collaborative effort of self-organizing and cross-functional teams.

Air Acidification

The acid substances present in the atmosphere are carried by rain. A high level of acidity can cause damage to forests. The contribution of acidification is calculated using the acidification potentials of the substances concerned and expressed in the H+ mode equivalent.

Air and Water Quality

Minimizing the impacts of the project's activities and product on air and water quality.

Alternative Energy

Energy generated from non-traditional sources (e.g., solar, wind) that are renewable and have lower environmental impact than fossil fuels.

Anthropogenic Climate Change

The changes in the Earth's climate caused by human activities, including the release of greenhouse gases through burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and other industrial processes.

Anti-Corruption

Rejecting offers of or requests for gifts, payments, or other benefits to influence the project's activities, results, or outcomes.

Asset Life Cycle

The total lifespan of a product from creation to disposal, including design, production, and use phases.

B

B Corp Certification

Certification of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.

Backcasting

A planning method that starts with defining a desirable future and then works backward to identify policies and programs that will connect that future to the present.

Baseline Emissions

The initial measurement of emissions before any interventions aimed at reduction.

Behavioral Change

Efforts to alter consumer or organizational behaviors to achieve environmental or social sustainability.

Benefits

Gains or assets realized by the organization and other stakeholders as the result of outcomes delivered. Benefits represent measurable changes resulting from project outputs and are expected to contribute toward one or more organizational objectives. See also: Dis-benefits.

Bioaccumulation

Accumulation of substances, such as pesticides or other chemicals, in an organism.

Biocapacity

The capacity of ecosystems to produce useful biological materials and absorb waste materials generated by humans, under current management schemes and extraction technologies.

Biodiversity

Variety of life in the world or a particular habitat or ecosystem, crucial for ecosystem resilience.

Biodiversity Mainstreaming

The process of integrating biodiversity conservation and sustainable use into policies, strategies, and practices across all sectors of society and the economy.

Biodiversity Offsetting

Compensating for biodiversity losses through equivalent biodiversity gains elsewhere.

Bioeconomy

An economy where the basic building blocks for materials, chemicals, and energy are derived from renewable biological resources.

Biomimicry

The design and production of materials and systems modeled on biological processes.

Blue Hydrogen

Hydrogen produced from natural gas with carbon capture and storage to reduce emissions.

C

Capabilities

What an organization can accomplish. New capabilities typically come from combining existing capabilities with the outputs of one or more projects.

Capacity Building

Efforts to enhance the skills, abilities, and resources of organizations and communities to manage biodiversity and environmental challenges effectively.

Carbon Accounting

Measuring the amount of carbon dioxide emissions an entity is responsible for, used for regulatory and voluntary reporting.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

The process of capturing carbon dioxide emissions and storing them underground to prevent them from entering the atmosphere.

Carbon Footprint

The total greenhouse gas emissions directly or indirectly caused by an individual, organization, event, or product, expressed as a CO2 equivalent.

Carbon Intensity

The amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced per unit of output or activity.

Carbon Literacy

Knowledge and capacity required to create a positive shift in how mankind lives, works, and behaves in response to climate change.

Carbon Neutral Supply Chain

A supply chain that has reduced or offset all of its greenhouse gas emissions to achieve net zero carbon output.

Carbon Neutrality

Achieving a balance between emitted carbon and carbon offset by removing an equivalent amount from the atmosphere.

Carbon Offset

Reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases made to compensate for emissions made elsewhere.

Carbon Sequestering

The process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide in a stable form, typically in natural reservoirs such as forests, soil, oceans, or underground geological formations.

Carrying Capacity

Maximum population size of a species that an environment can sustain indefinitely.

Change Initiative

An organized effort by an organization to modify its operations, processes, or culture to achieve specific goals or adapt to new challenges, ensuring effective transition with minimal disruption.

Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)

Corporate executive position responsible for an organization's environmental programs and initiatives.

Circularity

Continuous use of materials in a closed-loop system, ensuring materials are reused, remanufactured, or recycled to reduce waste.

Circular Business Models

Models where products are designed for reuse, recycling, and regeneration, minimizing waste.

Circular Design

Design approach focused on minimizing waste and maximizing the reuse of materials.

Circular Economy

An economic model focused on designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems.

Circular Procurement

Purchasing processes that prioritize goods and services that minimize resource use, are reusable, and have been produced sustainably, aligning with circular economy principles.

Clean Technology

Products, services, and processes that use renewable materials and energy sources, reduce emissions and wastes, and have a minimal impact on the environment.

Climate Change

The altering of the planet's climate due to an increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activity. See also: Global Warming.

Climate Change Adaptation

Adjustments in human or natural systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or effects.

Climate Change Mitigation

Policies and measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gases from companies and governments to lessen global impacts of climate change.

Climate Change Resilience

The ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to hazardous events, trends, or disturbances related to climate.

Climate Equity

The concept that climate change impacts and responsibilities are unevenly distributed, and actions should ensure fairness, particularly for those most affected but least responsible.

Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR)

The principle that all states share responsibility for environmental degradation, but developed countries bear greater responsibility due to their historical contributions and greater financial and technological resources.

Community Engagement

Practice of treating local residents as relevant stakeholders in the project.

Community Impact Assessment

Evaluating the social and environmental impacts of projects or developments on a local community.

Community of Life

Refers to all living beings on Earth and the ecosystems that sustain them. Emphasizes the interconnectedness of all life forms and the need to care for the entire community.

Configuration Management

A process to ensure the integrity of deliverables by confirming that their description (specification) matches their actual form and function. In project management, configuration management involves identification, control, status accounting, and auditing of configuration items.

Conservation

Sustainable use and management of natural resources including wildlife, water, air, and earth deposits.

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

The United Nations' initiative to protect and preserve biological diversity on Earth for future generations.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

A business approach that contributes to sustainable development by delivering economic, social, and environmental benefits for all stakeholders.

Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)

Mandates companies to conduct due diligence on their supply chains to identify, prevent, and mitigate adverse human rights and environmental impacts. Applies to large EU companies and non-EU companies with substantial operations within the EU.

Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)

An EU regulation requiring companies with over 250 employees or significant revenue to disclose their sustainability practices, including environmental impacts, social policies, and governance structures.

Critical Thinking

Objective analysis and evaluation of an issue to form a judgment, crucial for problem-solving in sustainability contexts.

Cruelty-Free

Products that are not tested on animals.

Cultural Awareness

The recognition and understanding of the differences and similarities between cultures.

Customer Privacy and Data Protection

Measures to safeguard customer data such as personal information or financial details.

D

Decarbonization

Process of reducing carbon dioxide emissions resulting from human activity in the atmosphere.

Decentralized Energy

Energy produced close to where it will be used rather than at a large, centralized plant.

Decoupling

Economic growth without corresponding increases in environmental pressure.

Deforestation

The process of harvesting forests for natural resources or to clear land for agriculture or construction.

Demand-Side Management

Programs or strategies designed to control or reduce energy consumption.

Dematerialization

The process of reducing the total material and energy throughput of any production or consumption system.

Digital Communication

Reducing the consumption of nonrenewable resources by using technology for project communications.

Digital Product Passport (DPP)

Tool to create transparency by collecting and sharing product data throughout its entire lifecycle.

Dignity, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DDEI)

A set of principles aimed at creating a respectful and inclusive environment where every individual is valued.

Dis-benefits

Measurable adverse changes resulting from project outcomes that may negatively affect organizational objectives or stakeholder interests. Different stakeholders may have different perspectives on whether a change constitutes a benefit or a dis-benefit, depending on how impacts are experienced across People, Planet, and Prosperity domains. See also: Benefits.

Donut Economics

A visual framework for sustainable development shaped like a doughnut, combining the concept of planetary boundaries with social boundaries to define a safe and just space for humanity.

Double Materiality

An approach that recognizes sustainability operates in two directions: outside-in (how environmental and social conditions affect financial performance) and inside-out (how organizational activities affect environmental and social systems). It evaluates both financial materiality and impact materiality simultaneously. Required under the EU's CSRD. See also: Dynamic Materiality, Dual Materiality.

Downcycling

Recycling of a material into a lower quality product.

Dual Materiality

An approach to assessing sustainability issues that considers two dimensions: how ESG factors impact an organization's financial performance (financial materiality) and how the organization's activities impact the environment and society (impact materiality). See also: Double Materiality.

E

E-Waste

Discarded electronic or electrical devices or their parts.

Earned Green Value Management (EGVM)

A project management framework that integrates sustainability metrics into performance tracking to ensure accountability and progress toward environmental and social goals alongside cost, schedule, and scope objectives.

Ecodesign

The integration of environmental considerations into the design of products to minimize their environmental impact throughout the lifecycle.

Eco-Efficiency

Creating more goods and services with fewer resources and generating less waste and pollution.

Eco-Innovation

The development of products and processes that contribute to sustainable development through reducing environmental impacts or achieving more efficient resource use.

Eco-Labeling

Labeling system that identifies products or services proven environmentally preferable.

Ecological Footprint

A measure of human impact on Earth's ecosystems, expressed as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources.

Ecological Integrity

The ability of ecosystems to maintain their processes, diversity, and resilience in the face of external pressures.

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms in conjunction with the non-living components of their environment, interacting as a system.

Ecosystem Restoration

The process of aiding the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded, damaged, or destroyed to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem functions.

Ecosystem Services

Benefits provided by ecosystems that contribute to making human life both possible and worth living.

Emissions Trading System (ETS)

Market-based approach to controlling pollution by providing economic incentives for reducing emissions of pollutants.

Energy Efficiency

Using less energy to provide the same service or useful output.

Environmental Footprint

Measure of the environmental impact of an individual, organization, or product.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

A process of evaluating the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development, considering inter-related socio-economic, cultural, and human-health impacts.

Environmental Justice

The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws and policies.

Environmental Management System (EMS)

A set of processes and practices that enable an organization to reduce its environmental impacts and increase its operating efficiency.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)

A set of considerations encompassing environmental issues, social issues, and corporate governance that can be used in investment and organizational decision-making.

Equitable Benefit-Sharing

The fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources, particularly with indigenous peoples and local communities.

Ethical Behavior

Adhering to ethical principles such as respect for human rights, fairness, transparency, and accountability.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

Policy approach that holds producers accountable for the environmental impacts of their products throughout their life cycle, including end-of-life management.

F

Fair Competition

Ensuring that all parties wanting to provide products or services to the project have an equal opportunity to compete and win.

Fair Trade

A trade movement aimed at helping producers in developing countries achieve better trading conditions and promote sustainable farming.

Food Miles

Distance food is transported from the time of its production until it reaches the consumer.

Footprint Assessment

Measuring the impact of a project or activity in terms of land, water, energy, or carbon use.

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

International non-profit organization that promotes responsible management of the world's forests via timber certification.

Fossil Fuel Divestment

The removal of investment assets including stocks, bonds, and investment funds from companies involved in extracting fossil fuels.

Functional Unit

A measure of the function of a product used in life cycle assessment studies to provide a reference for comparison.

G

Geoengineering

Large-scale intervention techniques aimed at affecting the climate, such as solar radiation management or ocean fertilization.

Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)

Framework aiming to halt and reverse nature loss, safeguarding and sustainably using biodiversity.

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)

An international independent standards organization that helps businesses understand and communicate their impact on critical sustainability issues.

Global Warming

The increasing of the Earth's average temperature due to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activity. See also: Climate Change.

Governance

Frameworks, processes, and relationships by which organizations are controlled and directed.

Green Bond

A fixed-income instrument designed specifically to support climate-related or environmental projects.

Green Building

A building that, in its design, construction, or operation, reduces or eliminates negative impacts, and can create positive impacts, on our climate and natural environment.

Green Economy

Economy that aims at reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities and aims for sustainable development without degrading the environment.

Green Hydrogen

Hydrogen produced using renewable energy sources, resulting in zero carbon emissions.

Green Infrastructure

A network of natural and semi-natural areas that provide ecosystem services such as water purification, air quality, and recreation.

Green Project Management®

Training professionals to apply sustainability principles within project governance, planning, and delivery as part of professional development in project management. See also: Sustainable Project Management™.

Green Procurement

Purchasing products and services with a lower environmental impact, considering energy efficiency, recyclability, and minimal toxic substances.

Greenhouse Gas (GHG)

Gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, which trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to climate change.

Greenghosting

The practice of producing content that promotes sustainability — such as blogs, books, events, or thought leadership — while failing to demonstrate any substantive internal sustainability practices. Organizations engaging in greenghosting may highlight external narratives about sustainability but lack publicly available policies, reporting, or evidence of sustainable operations.

Greenhushing

Companies deliberately underreporting or downplaying their sustainability efforts to avoid scrutiny or accusations of greenwashing, despite having legitimate initiatives.

Greenwashing

The practice of misleading consumers into believing that a company's products, services, or policies are more environmentally friendly than they actually are. Involves exaggerating claims or making false statements about sustainability efforts.

H

Habitat Fragmentation

The process by which habitat loss results in the division of large, continuous habitats into smaller, more isolated remnants.

Habitat Restoration

Process of aiding the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed.

Human Capital

The skills, knowledge, and experience possessed by individuals that contribute to their productivity.

Human Rights

Ensuring that basic needs such as food, clean water, housing, education, and healthcare are met equitably.

Human Rights Impact Assessment

A tool for identifying, understanding, assessing, and addressing potential or actual human rights impacts of business activities.

I

IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards (S1 & S2)

Standards released by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) to harmonize global sustainability reporting. S1 covers general sustainability-related financial disclosures; S2 covers climate-related disclosures.

Impact Investing

Investments made with the intention of generating positive social and environmental impact alongside financial returns.

Impact Lenses

Tools to analyze the impacts of projects and products from different perspectives, including lifespan, servicing, efficiency, effectiveness, and fairness.

Impact Threshold

A predefined boundary that establishes the acceptable limit of impact an organization is willing to tolerate for a specific sustainability element before governance action is required. Impact thresholds are not performance targets — they are decision triggers. When a threshold is crossed, escalation, redesign, or project termination may be required. Thresholds operate at ecological, social, and governance levels and should be defined in the business case before work begins.

Indigenous Peoples’ Rights

The legal and human rights of indigenous peoples, especially concerning their knowledge, lands, and biodiversity conservation.

Industrial Ecology

The study of material and energy flows through industrial systems to improve sustainability.

Integrity

The quality of being respectful, honest, fair, and having strong moral principles.

Integrity Threshold

Conditions under which sustainability practitioners must refuse to proceed, escalate concerns, or exit their roles. These are professional requirements, not discretionary decisions. Integrity thresholds are crossed when: claims exceed performance; commitments are decoupled from action; reporting substitutes for impact; the practitioner role is used as cover; interventions perpetuate degenerative systems; or an organization sells sustainability it does not itself practice.

Intergenerational Equity

The concept that the present generation has a responsibility to ensure that future generations inherit a healthy and sustainable world.

Intervention

A targeted action — policy, process, behavioral, or product-based — designed to address identified sustainability impacts. Interventions represent the core work of sustainability practice: translating impact assessment into concrete organizational change. Effective interventions are evidence-based, feasible within organizational constraints, and substantive enough to drive meaningful performance improvement. See also: Sustainability Intervention Plan.

Invasive Species

Non-native species that cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health by disrupting ecosystems or spreading diseases.

ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board)

An international body established to develop a comprehensive global baseline of sustainability disclosure standards.

J

Just Transition

Ensuring that as economies shift towards low-carbon and environmentally sustainable practices, the process is fair and inclusive to all, including workers and communities.

K

Kyoto Protocol

An international treaty that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the premise that global warming exists and is primarily driven by human activities.

L

Labor Practices and Decent Work

Policies and practices to ensure fair wages, safe working conditions, and opportunities for growth.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

A green building certification program used worldwide.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

A method to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product's life, from raw material extraction through manufacture, distribution, use, and disposal or recycling.

Lifecycle Costing

A process of evaluating the total economic worth of a project by considering all costs of ownership over its lifetime.

Local Procurement

Purchasing products and services from local suppliers.

Low Carbon Economy

An economy based on low carbon power sources that has minimal output of greenhouse gas emissions.

M

Material Circularity Indicator (MCI)

Measure of the extent to which a product or company is circular.

Materiality

Determining the relevance and significance of an issue to an organization and its stakeholders. A material issue is one that will influence the decisions, actions, and performance of an organization or its stakeholders. See also: Double Materiality, Dynamic Materiality.

Microgrid

A localized group of electricity sources and loads that normally operates connected to and synchronous with the traditional centralized grid.

Mitigation Hierarchy

A sequence of actions to reduce the negative impacts on biodiversity: avoid, minimize, restore, and offset.

Montreal Protocol

An international treaty agreed upon in 1987 to phase out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances (ODS), such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

N

Natural Capital

The world's stocks of natural assets, including geology, soil, air, water, and all living things.

Natural Capital Accounting

A method of calculating the total stocks of natural resources and the flows of ecosystem services they provide, to understand their contribution to the economy and human well-being.

Nature-Based Solutions

Actions that use natural processes and ecosystems to tackle social challenges like climate change, food security, or disaster risk.

Net Positive

An approach to project development that aims to create a positive environmental, social, or economic impact where positive contributions outweigh negative impacts.

Net Zero

A state in which the greenhouse gases emitted by an entity are balanced by the removal or offset of an equivalent amount from the atmosphere.

O

Offsetting

The practice of compensating for emissions by reducing emissions elsewhere.

Operational Boundary

The scope of emissions considered in an organization's carbon footprint, including direct and indirect emissions.

Organizational Culture

The values, beliefs, and behaviors that shape how an organization's employees interact and work together.

Organizational Learning

Process of creating, retaining, and transferring knowledge within an organization to improve its practices and performance.

Outcomes

The results of using capabilities. Outcomes represent what is actually achieved when new capabilities are put to work, distinct from outputs (what is produced) and benefits (the value realized).

Outputs

The product, result, or service generated by a process. In project contexts, outputs are the deliverables produced by project work — tangible products, intangible results, or service capabilities. Outputs may serve as inputs to subsequent processes or programs. See also: Outcomes, Benefits.

P

Paris Agreement

A legally binding international treaty on climate change, adopted at COP21 in Paris in 2015. Its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2°C, preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels.

P5™ Impact Analysis (P5IA™)

Also known as a Sustainability Impact Analysis™ (SIA™). A structured and comprehensive approach to evaluating an organization's or project's impacts on society, the environment, and the economy. Integrates measurable indicators aligned with strategic sustainability objectives, and identifies, analyzes, and prioritizes impacts to enhance positive outcomes and mitigate risks. Download the template.

P5™ Standard

A GPM® standard that integrates sustainability into project management and business practices, addressing the five Ps: People, Planet, Prosperity, Process, and Product. Published as the PMI-GPM P5™ Standard for Sustainability in Project Management, Version 4.0. Download the project management standard. | Download the business standard.

Permaculture

Design philosophy that works with nature to create sustainable systems.

Planetary Boundaries

Limits within which humanity can safely operate to avoid destabilizing the Earth's systems, such as biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution.

Post-Project Benefits Realization

The sixth phase of the PRiSM™ project lifecycle, occurring after formal project closure. It involves tracking outcomes and demonstrating that the benefits intended at project inception have been delivered over time. In the GPM methodology, this phase is supported by a Benefits Tracker within the Sustainability Management Plan (SMP), which compares baseline, target, and actual outcomes and supports organizational ESG disclosures.

Precautionary Principle

The concept that precautionary measures should be taken to prevent environmental harm even if some cause-and-effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.

PRiSM™ (PRojects integrating Sustainable Methods)

A project delivery methodology designed by GPM to ensure that projects are sustainable. PRiSM structures project work through six lifecycle phases: Pre-Project, Discovery, Design, Delivery, Closure, and Post-Project Benefits Realization. It utilizes tools such as the P5 Impact Analysis and Sustainability Management Plan to guide decision-making and align projects with organizational sustainability goals. PRiSM is the delivery methodology underpinning the PMI-GPM Practice Guide for Sustainability in Project Management, 4th Edition (2026).

Product Stewardship

Approach to managing the environmental impacts of products throughout their life cycle.

Program

A set of interrelated projects and activities designed to achieve specific goals and objectives.

Project

A temporary initiative in a unique context designed to create a unique product, service, or result. It is characterized by specific objectives, defined scope, and finite duration.

Project Portfolio

A collection of projects and programs that an organization has undertaken or plans to undertake, representing the overall investment of time, resources, and money in various initiatives.

Project Sustainability Management (PSM)

The application of sustainable practices in project management to enhance environmental, social, and economic performance.

Q

Quadruple Bottom Line (QBL)

An extension of the Triple Bottom Line that includes cultural aspects in addition to social, environmental, and economic factors.

R

Reductionist Thinking

In sustainability, an approach that simplifies complex systems by isolating components for analysis, often overlooking the interconnectedness essential for addressing systemic challenges.

Regenerative Agriculture

Approach to farming that works to regenerate topsoil and enhance biodiversity.

Regenerative Design

A design approach in the service of life. A forward-thinking approach that minimizes negative impacts and actively seeks to enhance and regenerate social, ecological, and economic systems.

Regenerative Development

Development in support of life. An approach that restores, renews, or revitalizes sources of energy and materials.

Regenerative Sustainability

The practice of restoring, renewing, and revitalizing natural, social, and economic systems to create conditions where life can thrive indefinitely. It goes beyond minimizing harm by actively replenishing resources, strengthening ecosystems, and enhancing the well-being of communities. Whereas sustainability aims to maintain balance, regenerative sustainability recognizes that true sustainability can only be achieved once we have repaired the damage done.

Renewable Energy

Energy from sources that are naturally replenishing but flow-limited; virtually inexhaustible in duration but limited in the amount of energy available per unit of time.

Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)

Tradable certificates that prove that one megawatt-hour of electricity was generated from a renewable energy source.

Resilience

The capacity of a system, community, or society potentially exposed to hazards to adapt, by resisting or changing in order to reach and maintain an acceptable level of functioning and structure.

Resource Efficiency

Using the Earth's limited resources in a sustainable manner while minimizing environmental impact.

Responsible Investment

Investing in companies or projects that meet certain standards of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria.

Rio Declaration

Adopted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), the Rio Declaration consists of 27 principles that guide sustainable development around the world.

S

SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative)

A global body enabling businesses to set ambitious emissions reductions targets in line with the latest climate science.

Science-Based Targets

Emission reduction targets set in line with the latest climate science to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Scope 1, 2 & 3 Emissions

Scope 1 emissions are direct GHG emissions from sources owned or controlled by an organization. Scope 2 are indirect emissions associated with purchased electricity, steam, heat, or cooling. Scope 3 are all other indirect emissions that occur in a company's value chain, including both upstream and downstream activities.

Social License to Operate

The ongoing approval and acceptance granted by a community or stakeholders to a business, project, or organization, based on trust, transparency, and the perception that the entity operates responsibly, ethically, and with respect for social and environmental values.

Social Return on Investment (SROI)

A method for measuring and accounting for the value created for society by a project or activity.

Sustainability

The practice of meeting current needs while enhancing the ability of future generations to meet their own. It involves improving environmental, social, and economic dimensions to create regenerative outcomes, ensuring long-term health and resilience of both human and natural systems.

Sustainability Impact

The effect that an organization, project, or activity has on environmental, social, and economic systems, both positive and negative.

Sustainability Impact Analysis (SIA)

See: P5™ Impact Analysis.

Sustainability Intervention Plan (SIP)

A strategic approach used to incorporate sustainable practices into projects or organizational operations. It outlines the specific actions, resources, timelines, and responsible parties for implementing sustainability interventions, including monitoring progress and adjusting strategies to achieve targeted sustainability outcomes. Core to the P5 Standard for Business Practice.

Sustainability Management Plan (SMP)

A GPM construct and living document introduced in 2009 that outlines how sustainability will be managed throughout a project. The SMP includes components such as the P5 Impact Analysis, roles and responsibilities, performance indicators, and mitigation strategies. It evolves across all six PRiSM lifecycle phases and serves as the primary source of evidence for project-level ESG disclosures. Download the template.

Sustainability Reporting

Practice of measuring, disclosing, and being accountable to internal and external stakeholders for organizational performance toward the goal of sustainable development.

Sustainable Development

Defined by the Brundtland Report as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” It emphasizes a balanced approach integrating environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic growth.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

A collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 for the year 2030, intended as a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

Sustainable Project

A temporary endeavor designed to create a unique product or service, characterized by its ability to create long-term value for all stakeholders while minimizing negative impacts on the environment and society.

Sustainable Project Management™

A registered trademark of GPM Global (U.S. Serial No. 98663585, Class 041, first use July 12, 2011). Training professionals to apply sustainability principles within project governance, planning, and delivery as part of professional development in project management. See also: Green Project Management®.

Sustainable Supply Chain

A supply chain that integrates environmental and social considerations in all aspects of product procurement, production, and delivery.

Systems Thinking

A holistic approach to analysis that focuses on the way that a system's constituent parts interrelate and how systems work over time and within the context of larger systems. A framework for seeing interrelationships rather than isolated things.

T

Take-Back Programs

Programs in which manufacturers or retailers take back used products for recycling or proper disposal.

Territorial Emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions that are produced within a country's borders.

Time Value of Carbon

The principle that reducing emissions sooner is more beneficial for the climate than the same reduction achieved later.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

An analysis of the complete cost of acquiring and operating an asset over its life cycle.

Transition Risk

The financial risk that results from the shift towards a low-carbon economy, including policy changes, technology developments, and market shifts.

Transparency

The willingness to disclose in a clear, accurate, and complete manner the policies, decisions, and activities for which one is responsible, including their known and likely impacts.

Triple Bottom Line (TBL)

An accounting framework that evaluates a company's performance on three pillars: social (people), environmental (planet), and financial (profit).

True Cost Accounting

An approach that incorporates environmental and social costs into the pricing of goods and services.

U

UN Global Compact

Non-binding United Nations pact to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies, and to report on their implementation.

Universal Responsibility

The ethical principle that all individuals, organizations, and nations share responsibility for the well-being of humanity and the larger community of life on Earth.

Upcycling

The process of transforming waste materials or unwanted products into new materials or products of higher quality.

Urban Heat Island Effect

The phenomenon where urban or metropolitan areas become significantly warmer than their rural surroundings due to human activities.

V

Value Chain

The full range of activities involved in the production, marketing, and delivery of a product, including the social and environmental impacts of each stage.

Values

Principles or standards of behavior that are considered important in a particular society or organization.

Voluntary Carbon Market

A market where companies and individuals can buy carbon credits to offset their greenhouse gas emissions voluntarily, rather than as required by regulation.

W

Waste Hierarchy

The prioritization of waste management activities: prevent, reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, and dispose in a way that minimizes environmental impact.

Water Footprint

The total volume of freshwater used to produce the goods and services consumed by an individual or community.

Water Neutrality

Balancing water use by reducing consumption and replenishing water sources to offset usage.

Water Stewardship

The responsible management of water resources, focusing on sustainable use and reducing environmental impact.

Wildlife Corridor

An area of habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities or structures.

X

Xeriscaping

A form of landscaping that reduces the need for irrigation by using drought-resistant plants.

Y

Yield Gap

The difference between the actual agricultural production and the potential maximum production based on optimal management practices.

Z

Zero Emissions

No release of pollutants into the environment.

Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV)

A vehicle that emits no exhaust gas or other pollutants from the onboard source of power.

Zero Waste

A philosophy and design principle that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused or recycled, and no trash is sent to landfills or incinerators.

Other

1.5 Degrees Celsius

The target set by the 2015 Paris Agreement as the global average temperature compared with pre-industrial history. Scientists generally agree that global temperatures must be kept well below 2 degrees — ideally 1.5 degrees Celsius — to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.