Sustainability Emerges as Key Driver of Project Success

Sustainability has become the most influential factor in determining project success, according to new global research released by Project Management Institute (PMI) and Green Project Management (GPM). The study shows that organizations integrating sustainability into project planning and delivery achieve stronger outcomes than those relying solely on traditional project management practices, highlighting a major shift in how long-term business success is measured and delivered.

The findings, released alongside the launch of PMI and GPM’s new Certified Sustainable Project Professional (CSPP)™ certification and e-learning program, highlight a growing gap between sustainability ambition and execution. While 79% of professionals believe sustainability positions their organizations for long-term success, only 41% say it is fully integrated across projects and functions.

The research also reveals a significant confidence gap between leadership and delivery teams. While 85% of sustainability executives believe their organizations will achieve their sustainability goals, confidence drops to 43% among PMO leaders and just 20% among project professionals.

For organizations in the UAE, where sustainability is central to economic diversification, infrastructure development, energy transition, and future-readiness agendas, the findings underline the importance of execution capability in translating sustainability commitments into measurable impact.

“Sustainability is no longer only a boardroom commitment or reporting requirement. It is increasingly becoming a delivery discipline,” said Hanny Alshazly, Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa at PMI. “Organizations that succeed will be those that embed sustainability into the way projects are planned, managed, measured, and delivered.”

The report identifies several barriers preventing organizations from closing the execution gap, including difficulty quantifying sustainability benefits, weak integration into decision-making processes, inconsistent implementation, and the tendency for sustainability priorities to be deprioritized under delivery pressure.

To help address these challenges, PMI and GPM launched the CSPP™ certification and e-learning program on World Environment Day. The program is designed to equip project professionals with the practical tools and frameworks needed to embed sustainability into day-to-day project decisions, from planning and risk management to execution and measurement.

As sustainability continues to shape the future of business, the research makes one reality clear: success will not be determined by the quality of commitments alone, but by the ability to execute them.