Report Reveals Widen Gap Between Sustainability Ambition and Delivery

A recent study conducted by Project Management Institute (PMI) and Green Project Management has highlighted a growing gap between sustainability ambitions and their delivery. The report titled "Executing Sustainability Strategy: When Ambition Meets Reality" surveyed nearly 1,600 professionals from 35 countries, revealing a significant disconnect between strategic confidence and execution readiness.

Despite 85% of sustainability executives believing their organisations will meet their sustainability goals, only 43% of Project Management Office (PMO) leaders share that sentiment. Among project professionals responsible for implementation, only 20% are extremely confident in their organisation's ability to deliver.

The study also found that while 79% of respondents believed sustainability was crucial for long-term success, only 41% stated it had been fully integrated into projects and daily operations. This disparity is particularly pronounced in Africa, where projects are central to development across sectors like infrastructure, energy, healthcare, mining, agriculture, and digital transformation.

The findings underscore the challenge of turning sustainability ambitions into tangible outcomes. George Asamani, Managing Director of PMI in sub-Saharan Africa, emphasized that sustainability is no longer a separate conversation from business performance. He pointed out that while governments and businesses in Africa have set ambitious targets, the real challenge lies in delivering these outcomes.

Without embedding sustainability into project delivery, organisations risk falling short of their aims.