Sustainability & Leadership Tuesday 10 October 2023 Presented by: Ian Cribbes Content Description: The climate and sustainability are very much in the news and have been for some time. How often do we hear “big business is all about profit (money) at the expense of the climate”? As Project Professionals, many is very senior positions within large organisations, where do we sit with regards to this, and other, questions? As both Project Professionals and Leaders within organisations what should our responsibility be? How can we balance the need for success of the organisation and need to address sustainability and the climate?

1. SUSTAINABILITY
&
LEADERSHIP
Ian Cribbes FAPM
10th October 2023

2. As leaders:
• Do we have a responsibility for our environment?
• If so:
• Why
• What is that responsibility
• How do we measure our efforts
• If not – why not?
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Sustainability
Net Zero
20??

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70% of companies have some formal governance of
sustainability in place (McKinsey survey)
BUT – what does “sustainability” mean in business?
To make a positive impact on at least one of the following:
• The effect business has on the environment
• The effect business has on society
• It can also drive business success

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Where does
sustainability fit?

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Sponsoring
Group
Project Sponsor
Project
Manager
Change
Manager
Delivering
Capability
Embedding
Change
Programme
Office
Governance
Sustainability

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Metrics used by investors
Investors look at the:
• company’s carbon footprint,
• water usage,
• community development
efforts,
• and board diversity

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Investor
appeal
Regulatory
compliance
Competitive
advantage
Revenue
growth
Acquisition
of talent
Benefits

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Customer readiness
Creating a sustainable future requires a deep understanding of your customers and
having partners with the right relationships and ecosystems to bring them along on the
journey.
Cost
Implementing sustainable business practices typically requires higher upfront
investments.
Systemic inertia
While sustainability is an important goal, it often isn’t seen as more important than other
key priorities that may provide benefits sooner.
Lack of tools, insights and expertise
Every business needs an ecosystem of innovation partners to help them reinvent the
world and create a sustainable future.
Challenges

10. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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Adopted by the United Nations as a universal call to
action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure
that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
• 17 goals
• 3865 events
• 1345 publications
• 7744 actions

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SDG examples

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The environment

13. Project Sponsor / SRO
• Overall responsibility for business outcome
• A business role, not a specialist PPM role
• Sufficient authority or influence
• Sufficient delivery experience
• Should chair Programme Board
• Commands (or can achieve) resources
• Stays with Programme for the duration
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• 79% of high-performing organisations
enjoy active project sponsors
• compared to less than half (43 percent)
at low-performing organisations’
Project Sponsor / SRO
PMI Pulse Report

15. Project Decisions
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Ethics Morals
YES or NO

16. Company Board
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Environmental Advisor / Consultant
or

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Thank you
Open for discussion