What are sustainable projects and sustainable outcomes?

In an era of increasing environmental awareness and social responsibility, the concepts of sustainable projects and sustainable outcomes have become central to effective project management. APM’s sustainability interest network explores these concepts, their applications across various domains, and the tools and principles that can guide us towards more sustainable practices.

Three types of projects in relation to climate change

When considering sustainability, particularly in the context of climate change, we can categorise projects into three main types:

1. Mitigation Projects: these aim to reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, or soil erosion; or to reverse detriment by carbon capture or human wellness. Examples include renewable energy installations, energy efficiency upgrades, and reforestation initiatives.
2. Adaptation Projects: these help communities and ecosystems adjust to actual or expected climate changes. This might involve developing drought-resistant crops, building flood defences, or creating urban green spaces to combat heat islands.
3. Crisis Response Projects: These address immediate threats or damages caused by climate-related events, such as disaster relief efforts after hurricanes or wildfires, or developing sea walls in anticipation of sea level rise.

Whilst regulation reacts to existing problems (and projects driven by complying with regulatory requirements typically deliver the minimum required), truly sustainable projects take a proactive approach and might be driven by ethics. They anticipate future challenges and work to prevent them, delivering a better future and often also costing less over the lifetime of the asset by avoiding the need for rework as new regulations come into force.

Applying sustainability principles beyond climate change

The principles of sustainability extend far beyond environmental concerns. They can and should be applied to various aspects of human wellbeing and societal development:

1. Mental Wellbeing: sustainable projects in this realm might focus on creating work environments that promote work-life balance, or developing community spaces that foster social connections;
2. Community Development: projects could aim to strengthen local economies, improve social cohesion, or enhance cultural preservation. For instance, initiatives that support local businesses or preserve historical landmarks and culture;
3. Economic Development: sustainable economic projects recognise that money, like manure, is most valuable when spread around to encourage growth. This might involve microfinance initiatives, fair trade projects, or circular economy models.

Balancing 'what' and 'how': the importance of lifecycle thinking

When considering sustainability, it's ethical to balance what we're creating with how we're creating it. This requires lifecycle thinking:

• A building, for instance, typically uses about 2 times more energy during its operational life than was used in its construction.
• Cars, have a different balance, with a significant portion of their environmental impact occurring during manufacturing (however all cars require manufacture so the difference between an ICE and an EV tips in favour of EV within a few thousand miles).
• Infrastructure projects like roads present a complex case, with impacts spread across construction, use, and maintenance phases.

This lifecycle perspective highlights the importance of considering not just the immediate project outcomes, but also long-term operational impacts and even end-of-life considerations.

The sustainability of a project can be influenced by seemingly peripheral factors. For instance, if a project funder visits a site by helicopter, this could significantly impact the project's overall carbon footprint. On the other hand, Band Aid (and separately MSF) transported food, medicines and supplies to starving people by helicopter during the rainy season, justifying it by explaining that if they waited until the roads were passable, many of the victims would no longer need food because they would not survive. Such considerations underscore the need for holistic thinking in sustainable project management.

Triple bottom line and five principles of sustainability

The concept of the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) provides a framework for evaluating project sustainability across three dimensions:

1. Environmental (Planet): Minimising ecological impact and preserving natural resources.
2. Social (People): Ensuring fair and beneficial business practices for labour, the community, and the region.
3. Economic (Profit): Creating economic value while also considering the other two dimensions.

Across another dimension in the same paradigm, we can consider five key principles of sustainability:

1. Long-term Perspective: Considering impacts beyond the immediate project timeline.
2. Systems Thinking: Recognising interconnections and avoiding siloed approaches.
3. Stakeholder Engagement: Involving and considering all affected parties.
4. Risk Management: Anticipating and mitigating potential negative impacts.
5. Continuous Improvement: Regularly reassessing and enhancing sustainability practices.

Benefits and LM3: justifying sustainability in the bottom line

While the ethical case for sustainability is clear, it's often necessary to justify the investment (which is made in financial terms) with matching return on investment, also in financial terms. The Local Multiplier 3 (LM3) is one of many concepts useful for this purpose.

LM3 measures the local economic impact of a project or organisation by tracking how money circulates within a defined area. It demonstrates how local spending can create a multiplier effect, amplifying the economic benefits to a community. My project employs local scaffolders, who spend their money on leisure (cafes, restaurants, drinks, gym, cinema) and services (hairdresser, car wash, home improvements), and the recipients spend their money locally on their own supply chain.

By using tools like LM3, project managers can demonstrate that sustainable practices often lead to:

• Reduced operational costs over time
• Enhanced reputation and brand value
• Improved stakeholder relationships
• Greater resilience to environmental and social risks
• Potential access to green funding or tax incentives

Tools for the design stage: coming to a project late

Even if sustainability wasn't initially a focus, it's never too late to incorporate sustainable practices, and it can be retrofitted in most cases. Here are some tools that can be applied at the design stage or even later:

1. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): This tool evaluates environmental impacts throughout a product's life cycle, from raw material extraction to disposal.
2. Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA): This process assesses the potential economic, social, and environmental impacts of a project or policy.
3. BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method): While primarily used for buildings, its principles can be adapted for other projects to assess environmental performance.
4. SDG Impact Assessment Tool: This free online tool helps assess how a project contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals,
5. Circular Economy Toolkit: This can help identify opportunities to make a project or product more circular, reducing waste and maximising resource use.

Conclusion

Sustainable projects and outcomes are those that balance environmental, social, and economic considerations, not just in their immediate results but throughout their lifecycle. By applying the principles and tools discussed here, project managers can contribute to a more sustainable future, regardless of their project's nature or stage.

As we face increasing global challenges, the ability to deliver sustainable projects and outcomes is becoming not just a nice-to-have, but a critical skill for all project professionals. By embracing this approach, we can ensure our projects create lasting, positive impact for both current and future generations.

 

You may also be interested in:

• What is sustainability in project management?
• APM Sustainability Interest Network
• Green jobs in the green economy: A sector-by-sector overview