Arup’s latest white paper, “Sustainability through delivery,” tackles a critical disconnect in how organisations approach climate action. Despite robust project management methodologies existing since the 1970s and clear frameworks like the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the research reveals that Portfolio, Programme and Project Management (P3M) methodologies remain underutilised in delivering sustainability outcomes. The paper identifies three core barriers:
- limited cross-discipline collaboration between sustainability professionals and P3M managers,
- insufficient sustainability knowledge within the project management community, and
- organisations failing to recognise the full potential of structured P3M approaches in achieving environmental and social goals.
The authors propose three fundamental shifts to address these gaps. The “paradigm shift” requires organisations and project sponsors to move beyond technical solutions alone, embracing genuine commitment to sustainability throughout project lifecycles using concepts like “think slow, act fast” and long-term strategic thinking. The “mind shift” calls for P3M managers to develop sustainability competencies and take leadership roles in stakeholder engagement, whilst the “scope shift” demands moving beyond the traditional time-budget-quality constraints to integrate UN SDGs and performance measures that capture broader environmental, economic and social impacts.
What makes this research particularly valuable are the practical applications and case studies demonstrating how these principles work in practice. From Arup’s programme management of the Hy4Heat hydrogen feasibility study (which won the Association for Project Management Programme of the Year Award 2021) to Bristol City Council’s sustainability framework development, the paper shows how structured P3M methodologies can systematically embed sustainability considerations across project lifecycles. The eight actionable recommendations provide immediate steps for P3M professionals to enhance their sustainability knowledge, engage with frameworks like Green Project Management’s PRiSM methodology, and use their central project positions to influence meaningful climate action.
Read it yourself
