Perspectives: Articles from GPM on Sustainability in Projects

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The Project Is the Wrong Unit of Value and Sustainability Keeps Paying for It

In a recent interview with Sustainability Magazine, Lucila Dotto, PMI's Global Head of Sustainability, made a claim I agree with and want to extend. She said that ambition is no longer the primary constraint, that most large organisations a…

· September 9, 2026

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What Project Managers Absorb When Sponsorship Is Undefined

Sustainability Is a Sponsorship Decision

Why Tier 1 Suppliers Tell You Almost Nothing

Regeneration Requires Evidence. What the Profession Has to Be Able to Show Before It Uses the Word.

Stakeholders Are Partners in the Outcome

Killing Projects Is the Most Sustainable Thing You Can Do

Sustainability Isn't Easy. That Was Never the Point.

Why Your Sustainable Portfolio Keeps Reverting to Old Habits

A Validated Target Is a Promise. Projects Are Where It Is Kept.

We Know How to Engage Stakeholders. Why Do We Still Mismanage Them?

Why Today’s Chaotic World Needs a New Kind of Project Leader

$901 Billion in Climate Risk, and No Decision Rights to Match

When the Reporting Floor Moves, Projects (Must) Move With It.

What Has to Be Present on a Project Team

Sustainability Is Not a Niche. It Is a Knowledge Area.

Your Sustainability Handprint Exceeds Your Footprint in Strategic Importance

What Regenerative Leadership Looks Like in Projects

Stop Calling Everything a Methodology: Fixing One of Project Management’s Biggest Misconceptions

Net Zero Without System Change Is Nonsense

P5 and PMBOK® Guide 8: A Structural Alignment

Mining the Wrong Gems: Redefining Success in African Development

The Right to Refuse: Why Regenerative Leaders Say No More Often

Asia-Pacific’s Sustainability Moment Will Be Won or Lost on Skills

Regeneration Is a Structural Condition, Not a Moral Aspiration

Sanctioned Incrementalism Is Why the SDGs Are Failing

We Can’t ‘Mitigate’ Our Way Out of Collapse: Projects Need a New Playbook.

The Project Management Profession Is Sitting on a 2.58x Advantage, and Ignoring It

What I Learned from PMI’s 2025 Pulse of the Profession

From Leave No Trace to Leave It Better: A Scoutmaster’s Playbook for Regenerative Business

Understanding the Differences Between CSDDD and CSRD: The Critical Role of Project Managers in Measuring Impact

It’s Time to Count More Than Carbon: Growing the Business Handprint

Greenghosting: The worst form of hypocrisy

Your Project Plan Is a Lie. Here’s the Squiggle You Should Be Managing Instead

Why True Progress Demands Partnership. The GPM-b™ has raised the bar.

Regeneration or Resignation: Which Side of the Future Is Your Portfolio On?

When ‘Just Transition’ Meets Local Politics: The Unraveling of Climate Commitments

From Texas to Tasmania: Floods Are the Signal. Regeneration Is the Response.

The PMO Is a Sleeping Giant in the Climate Fight

What does it mean to be a sustainability champion?

Stop Blaming Carbon. The Real Threat Is Ecological Collapse.

Language as Leverage: Why Our Terminology Could Be Our Biggest Barrier to Equity

Sustainability Isn’t a Department: It’s a Discipline

The Global Goals Are Everywhere, So Why Are We Silent on Biodiversity?

Killing Zombie Projects: A Sustainability Imperative

Green Tariffs or Trade Barriers? How Supply Chain Shocks Are Threatening Sustainability

The End of Neutrality: Why Project Managers Must Lead with Ethical Clarity

The Hidden Power of Dual Materiality: Why Impact Is a Business Metric

Is It Time to Break Up With “Stakeholders"?

Beyond Ego and Eco: The Next Business Imperative

The “Sustainability Premium” Myth: Why Sustainable Projects Are Actually More Cost-Effective

Is COP30 Climate Action or Climate Hypocrisy?

The Leadership Crisis, and the Leaders Who Are Fixing It

Impact Thresholds: Making Project Sustainability Real

Regenerative Sustainability: What If Sustainability Is Something We Can Only Achieve Once We Fix What We’ve Broken?

The Regenerative Shift: How Regenerative Design Principles Are Transforming Project Portfolio Management

The Peril of Reductionism: Lessons from the Aral Sea

Design as Nature: A Call for Regenerative Leadership

Project Portfolio Management Trends: Navigating the Future in 2025 and Beyond

From 'Circular Economy' to 'Circular Excuses': Why We Need Net-Positive Systems

How to Recognize Project Greenwashing: A Case Study

Regeneration, Not Just Sustainability, Must Define Our Future

Sustainability in International Development: Why the P5 Standard is a Lifeline

Why We Chose Regenerative Design as a Competence Unit and Not Sustainable Development

Out with Reductionist Approach: Getting Real With Regeneration in Project Management

For-Purpose Organizations: Redefining Business with a Conscience

Beyond Buzzwords: How We’re Missing the Point of Sustainability

Hazardous Waste and Environmental Racism: A Toxic Legacy of Inequality

Rediscovering the Earth Charter: A Timeless Blueprint for a Sustainable Future

Artificial Intelligence vs. Natural Stupidity: The Battle for the Future of Work

Emotional Intelligence: The Catalyst for Real Change in Project Leadership

Updating the Six Principles of Sustainable Project Management: From Harm Reduction to Healing

The Lifelong Learning Fallacy: Why We’re Never Done Learning

Sustainability at the Core of Project Management

Unilever’s Sustainability Shift: A Maturing of the Movement, and a Call to Action for All Organizations

DEI: A Commitment to Fairness, Not Extremism

Beyond Skills: The Power of Traits in Sustainable Project Management Approaches

Designing for Regenerative Business: From Fear to Hope?

Investing in Sustainable Project Management: A Strategic Imperative for Project Owners

Achieving Net Zero Carbon Emissions Through Project Portfolio Management and Project Selection

Riding the Sustainability Wave: The Bandwagon Effect in Action

The Origin of the Project Sustainability Management Plan

When Flimsy ESG Strategies Fail: A Dialogue on Building Sustainability Practices

Achieving Organizational Sustainability Goals Through Strategic Alignment in Project Portfolio Management

Integrating Dual Materiality in Project-Intensive Organizations to Meet ISSB Disclosure Requirements

From Utopia to Reality: Project Management's Origins in Literature to Our Mandate

Interim Investing and ESG: The Evolution of Investment Strategies in Projects

Bridging the Gap in Sustainability Strategy and Project Delivery

Businesses and the Path to Carbon Neutrality: Leading Beyond Regulation

Planned Obsolescence: An Unsustainable Business Model

Redefining Success: The Urgent Shift from Traditional Education to Skills-Based Learning

Embracing Sustainability: A Universal Responsibility Across Professions

The Global Goals Misstep: How Businesses Misinterpret and Overshadow Nations' SDG Agendas

Ethical Leadership is Core for Sustainable Business

Embracing Regeneration: A Decade-Long Vision Finally Takes Center Stage

Textile Sector's ESG Challenges in India "Mind the Gap"

Balancing Value: From Friedman's Metrics to Purpose-Driven Impact

New Year, New Aspirations: Embracing Bold Changes for a Sustainable Future

Overcoming Obstacles in Renewable Energy Projects: A Project Manager's Perspective with Agrivoltaic

A Response to the Barrage of Frustration Aimed at COP28

Beyond Algorithms: The Human Factor in AI-Driven Sustainability

The Complexity of Sustainability: A Simple, Yet In-Depth Look

The Invisible Challenge: Psychological Barriers to Sustainability in Business

Cutting Through the Noise: What is Sustainable Project Management

The Underrated Heartbeat of Project Management: Humanity Over Algorithms

Human Sustainability: Our Focus is all Wrong.

Using Non-Financial Criteria for Project Portfolio Prioritization

Upward Engagement: A Critical Competence When Things Get Stuck

Regenerative Leadership in Project Management: Essential for 2024 and Beyond

Sustainable Project Management and the Three Horizons Concept: Looking at projects from different perspectives.

Aligning Projects with Purpose: The Key to Realizing Your Sustainability Strategy

The Role of Intuition in Decision Making: Can a Project Manager Trust Their Gut Feeling Over Data?

The Carbon Offset Mirage: Smoke, Mirrors, and Greenwashing? Let me explain.

Breaking down the P5 Standard for Sustainability in Project Management: Training and Qualification

Breaking down the P5 Standard for Sustainability in Project Management: Project Health and Safety

What Project Managers Need to Know About Planetary Boundaries and Biodiversity Regeneration

Breaking down the P5 Standard for Sustainability in Project Management: Labor-Management Relations

Breaking down the P5 Standard for Sustainability in Project Management: Employment and Staffing

Saving Life on Earth: How We Can Stop Climate Chaos?

What is Edge Effect Abundance and why are Projects Critical to their Proliferation?

The Local Economic Impact of Projects as a Core Component of Sustainable Project Management

The GPM P5 Standard Makes International Development Projects Sustainable

Beyond AI: Prioritizing Sustainability in the Face of Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss

Dignity. The Missing Aspect of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Economic Prosperity The 6th Sustainable Project Management Principle

The Sustainable Project Management Principle of Social and Ecological Equity

The importance of Developing a Strong Environmental Quotient (EQ) for Project Managers

Five Reasons Why AI is Not a Replacement for Project Managers [It is a tool].

The Importance of Sustainable Project Management in India

Principles & Values-Based: Conserving and Enhancing Natural Resources through Sustainable Project Management

The Integrated and Transparent Principle for Sustainable Project Management

Ethics and Decision Making as a Foundation for Sustainable Project Management Practice

The Essential Role of Commitment and Accountability in Project Management

The Role of Grit in Delivering Sustainable Projects

Mentoring and Coaching. Why it is Important and How it is Changing with Remote Work.

Sustainability: Debunking the False Notion That It Adds Costs

The Relationship Between Project Activities, ESG Disclosures, and Sustainability Reports

The Importance of Chief Sustainability Officers Interfacing with Project Organizations.

What is sustainable procurement, and why should a project manager care?

Unlocking ASEAN’s Sustainable Performance with the GPM P5 Standard

The Project Profession and Biodiversity. We need to mind our impacts.

We need to stop spreading the false notion that only 35% of projects are successful.

What ESG Trends will Continue to Progress in 2023?

What is a project sustainability impact assessment and how can it measure the value of social and environmental efforts?

The Climate COP System Needs an Overhaul.

Project Sponsors are the Key to Unlocking the Potential of Sustainable Project Management

Where should sustainability fit within the realm of projects, new products and service delivery?

Does Your Business Case Pass the Toddler Test?

The importance of being multi-disciplinary with Sustainable Project Management

Lessons from Harvard 4: How Adaptive Project Teams can work with Command & Control

Lessons from Harvard 3: Discovering the Squiggle on Projects

Lessons from Harvard 2: Understanding Organizational "Operating Systems"

Lessons from Harvard 1: Organizational Dynamics Set the Stage for Change

We Need to Raise Capable Leaders; Yesterday.

COVID-19 Sustainable Lessons 07: Dealing with Cobb's Paradox

COVID-19 Sustainable Lessons 06: The Cost of Delay

COVID-19 Sustainable Lessons 01: Summary

COVID-19 Sustainable Lessons 04: Transformational Change Requirements

COVID-19 Sustainable Lessons 05: People or Economy - What is more important ?

COVID-19 Sustainable Lessons 03: Three Keys to Project Work During the Outbreak

COVID-19 Sustainable Lessons 02: References

How we can empower our children, and not rob them of the ability, to dream of a better future.

Bio-Diversity's freefall can be mitigated through sustainable project management.

How an organization can avoid SDG-washing. Yes, it is a thing...

Pollution - Why we replaced horses with automobiles

Two Technologies that Could Regenerate Our Planet

An Approach for Sustainability for Everyone - The Scout vs. the Warrior

PRiSM is much more than an "eco-friendly" method.

Projectors, We need rethink a few things.

Why Your Sustainability Report Might be Awful?

How our Perception & Politics impacts our Understanding of Sustainability

Evaluating Human Systems and Earth Systems - A Sustainability Model

Focus on Strengths Not Just Weaknesses - the Value of Appreciative Inquiry

Characteristics of a Sustainable Project Manager (3 of 9) “Change Agent”

Does Big Business Care about Sustainability?

Characteristics of a Sustainable Project Manager (2 of 9) “Inclusive Leader”

Characteristics of a Sustainable Project Manager (1 of 9) "Benefits Focused"

Disposable Plastic Straws... What can we do?

Sustainable Project Management: The GPM Reference Guide 2nd Edition

Challenges with Using PERT for Estimating

The necessity for Project Management skills: The transition to freelance and project work

The Advantages of Constructive Conflict in Projects

Career Paths for Those Interested in Project Management

Sustainable Development Goal #17 of 17. Partnership for the Goals and Project Management.

Sustainable Development Goal 16 Peace & Justice, Strong institutions and Project Management

Mother Earth vs. Humanity - A Sustainability Model

A Mercenary Perspective on Sustainability

The Dangers of Tribalism with Project Methods

Sustainable Development Goal 15 “Life on Land" and Project Management

We Have Redoubled Our Commitment to the Paris Agreement (and we are not alone).

Sustainable Development Goal 14. "Life Under Water and Project Management"

Are Projects Material to Non-Financial Reporting?

Waste not, want not: how projects can drive reductions in waste

Sustainable Development Goal #13 of 17 and Project Management, Climate Action.

Hey Project Manager, are you a more of a Jedi or a Stormtrooper?

Managing Sustainable Development Projects Sustainably, an Example.

Are you breaching the Code of Ethics by not being sustainable?

Sustainable Development Goal #12 of 17 and Project Management, Responsible Consumption and Production.

GPM China Advances in Line With National Environmental Goals

Why GPM® Green Project Manager Certification Goes Hand in Hand with US Green Building Council’s LEED® and The Green Building Initiative Green Globes®

Sustainable Development Goal #11 of 17 and Project Management, Sustainable Cities.

Learn about Sustainability in a few hours...

Sustainable Development Goal #10 of 17 and Project Management, Reducing Inequality.

Sustainable Development Goal #9 and Project Management, Industrialization and Innovation

The Evolution of the Project Management Profession

Sustainable Development Goal #8 Good Jobs, Economic Growth, and Project Management

The challenges dealing with child labour in the fast fashion or "McFashion" garment industry

A rookie mistake with sustainable procurement... Lessons Learned

Our brain is designed to accept new concepts - even sustainability

Sustainable Development Goal #7 Renewable Energy and Project Management

Sustainable Development Goal #6, Clean Water and Sanitation & Project Management

SDG #5 Achieve Gender equality and empower all women and girls & project management.

Sustainable Development Goal #4 of 17 Quality Education (and Project Management)

Part II of Sustainable Development Goal #3 and Project Management, ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

7 ways for projects managers to make your projects sustainable

2016 UN Global Compact Leaders Summit Update

Project Management and Sustainable Development Goal #3 - Ensuring Healthy Lives

The Sustainable Development Goal to End Hunger. The Role of Projects and Project Management.

The Importance of Localizing Project Management Literature

The Sustainable Development Goal to End Poverty and Project Management's role

GPM Supporting Sustainable Development in Africa

GPM Certified Project Managers are Making a Difference!

GPM Takes Root in Russia Amid Historic International Events

Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain! The difference between CSR and Sustainability.

The Stakeholder in the Stakeholder; Overcoming Adversity

Keep on scammin’ on: The evil brilliance, success and recurrence of The Playbook

The GPM P5 Standard for Sustainability in Project Management. Who uses it and how?

Brandolini’s Law in Sustainability Discussions

Silly Management Mistakes - the Importance of Fair Process

Sustainable Portfolio Management - Foundational Overview

Sustainable Risk Management – Four Current Challenges with Solutions

Sustainable Risk Management - Organizational Factors

Sustainable Risk Management - Organizational Competencies

A 2 degree difference. COP21 and the need for Project Management

Why sustainability focused project management is the only way forward.

New IPMA Competence Baseline Supports Sustainabilty!

A Project Manager’s True Purpose: Output, Benefits or Both?

Why Benefits Are Important for Sustainability

GPM and UN Global Compact Local Networks; collaboration for a better world

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The Project Is the Wrong Unit of Value and Sustainability Keeps Paying for It

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